


Back By My Side

by MultiFangirl777



Series: The Mask You Wear [4]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, Phantom of the Opera AU, love never dies au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 56,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25500445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MultiFangirl777/pseuds/MultiFangirl777
Summary: Alternate sequel to “The Mask You Wear”. Hans is patient and waits until the day after Anna’s last performance to take her on their trip, like planned. Anna and Kristoff are forced to part ways. Ten years later, they cross paths again. Will they be able to regain the friendship they had? Who will Anna choose? And what about her nine-year-old son?
Relationships: Anna/Hans (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Series: The Mask You Wear [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1760455
Comments: 29
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So... This story was never supposed to exist. “The Mask You Wear” had originally gone in a much different direction, as evidenced by the completed version and it’s other sequels. However, I’ve been listening to the “Love Never Dies” soundtrack a lot in the last month, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. 
> 
> This story starts in the middle of Chapter 23, goes through most of Chapter 24, and then changes direction from there. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! (Warning: This will be a lot more angst and heartbreaking than even the first story. Tissues are advised.)

“How’s my beautiful fiancée?” Hans asked from the doorway. Anna turned and smiled at him.

“A little nervous, but overall, I’m okay,” she replied. 

“Good,” Hans said. “Make sure you pack everything and get plenty of rest after the show tonight. We leave at dawn tomorrow.”

Anna froze. At dawn? Tomorrow? They hadn’t even talked about that yet!

“You can’t be serious!” Anna exclaimed. “We never agreed to leave tomorrow.”

“I know we didn’t. But I also know you want to see the world, and I know you feel forced to stay and do the plays you’re in. If we leave tomorrow, there’s no chance of another play being announced in time for you to be conflicted about staying or going,” Hans explained. 

“But Hans-,” Anna began.

“No but’s!” Hans exclaimed, and Anna recoiled a little at his tone. Hans relaxed a little, but stayed firm on his decision. “We leave at dawn. No ands, ifs, or buts about it.” Anna opened her mouth to argue, but he was long gone, the door slammed shut behind him. 

Anna took a few deep breaths. How was she going to tell Kristoff? She was thankful for the fact he wouldn’t be showing up to her dressing room before the show. She remembered the sorrowful look on his face the last time the trip was mentioned. She couldn’t bear to see that again, especially not before the show. She would never be able to perform if she saw that look again. 

And why was Hans so desperate to get her out of this place? Couldn’t he see how happy she was to do this? She didn’t feel pressured into staying here. Not like how she was feeling pressured to leave with Hans now. She loved it here, and even if the roles were a bit harder, she still loved them, and Kristoff always made sure to help her learn the role properly. 

She rubbed her forehead, trying to destress herself.

“Twisted every way. What answer can I give? Do I betray the man who once inspired my voice? Do I have any choice? I know I can’t refuse, and yet I wish I could. If I agree, what waits for me?” 

Anna shook her head. She couldn’t think about that. And she wasn’t betraying Kristoff, because she was still going through with this show. She wasn’t leaving yet. She had one more night.

She looked at herself, took another deep breath, and did some vocal warmups to distract herself until Yelana called for her to come out to the stage for the show. Her final performance. No matter what, she was determined to make this the best show ever, as a final gift for Kristoff. This was his play, and he deserved nothing but the best from her. She was determined to give him exactly that. 

She stood upright and slowly walked out of the room. It was showtime. 

***

The first part of the play had been going well. Anna was now offstage, watching Kai and the others perform while she mentally prepared herself for her big solo. 

One by one, all of the other performers left the stage, until Kai was the last one there. He finished his part, put on a black cloak covering his face, and then walked off stage. 

Anna took a deep, steady breath, and walked onto the stage. The audience was still clapping while she walked on, and even though it was more meant for the cast of the previous song, it helped her feel more confident about this next song. 

She stood in the center of the stage, and the clapping died as the lights dimmed until there was only one light shining on her. 

“Who knows when love begins? Who knows what makes it start? One night, it’s simply there, alive inside your heart,” she sang. “It slips into your thoughts. It infiltrates your soul.  
It takes you by surprise, then seizes full control. Try to deny it and try to protest, but love won’t let you go once you’ve been possessed.” 

This was honestly Anna’s favorite song that she’s had to perform yet. The melody was beautiful, and the words fit nicely. 

“Love gives you pleasure and love brings you pain. And yet, when both are gone, love will still remain. Once it has spoken, love is yours.  
Love never dies. Love never alters. Hearts may get broken. Love endures. Hearts may get broken.” 

She took a deep breath, preparing for the final part.

“Love never dies. Love will continue. Love keeps on beating when you're gone. Love never dies once it is in you. Life may be fleeting. Love lives on. Love is enduring.”

She let the last note ring in the air for a few moments, allowing herself to breathe before softly singing, “Love lives on.” 

The crowd erupted with cheers, and Anna couldn’t help but smile a little. The lights on the stage turned back on, and Anna walked to the table and sat down waiting for Kai to come back out. 

The music for the next song started playing, and Anna heard the footsteps as Kai made his way back on stage. Anna grabbed the plastic Apple sitting on the table and started rolling it around in her hands.

“You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge,” the voice sang, and Anna nearly dropped the apple. That voice was definitely not Kai’s. She took a deep breath to compose herself as the imposter kept singing. “In pursuit of that wish, which till now has been silent.” 

Anna stood up and walked to the other side of the stage, not looking in his direction. 

“I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge. In your mind you’ve already succumbed to me. Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me. Now you are here with me. No second thoughts. You’ve decided. Decided...” 

He was standing behind her now. She could feel his warmth from how close they were together. Anna raised the apple to her lips, ready to pretend to take a bite out of it, but he took it out of her hands before she could. 

“Past the point of no return. No backward glances. The games we’ve played till now are at an end.” Anna went to grab for the apple, but he was quicker, grabbing her wrist and tugging so she was facing him. His face was still hidden under the cloak, though, so she couldn’t actually see him. “Past all thought of if or when. No use resisting. Abandon thought, and let the dream descend, beyond the point of no return.” 

Anna pulled her arm away and walked to the center of the stage, not because she wanted to, but because that was part of the script. When she was a considerable distance from him, she turned to him and started singing her part. 

“You have brought me to that moment where words run dry. To that moment where speech disappears into silence.” He started walking towards her. “I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why. In my mind I’ve already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent.”

He was now mere inches away. Anna looked up to where his eyes would be, if his entire head wasn’t covered. 

“And now I am here with you; no second thoughts. I’ve decided... Decided.” Their hands locked, and they started doing the dance routine while Anna continued singing. 

“Past the point of no return. No going back now! Our passion-play has now, at last, begun. Past all thought of right or wrong. One final question: How long should we two wait before we’re one?” 

It was now time to start the spins. Anna prepared herself as she let him guide her through the motions, and continued singing.

“When will the blood begin to race? The sleeping buds burst into bloom? When will the flames at last consume us?” 

They started singing the next part together as they continued dancing.

“Past the point of no return. The final bridge is crossed, so stand, and watch it burn! We’ve passed the point of no return.” 

As they sang the line, he spun her inward, where she was facing the opposite direction, arms crossed, just like they had practiced. Anna was reminded, once again, of how warm and safe she felt in his arms. 

“I told you I wouldn’t let you kiss Kai,” he whispered in her ear, only allowing her to hear. Anna smiled, but the smile quickly faded as she remembered this would be their last night together. 

After this, she would have to tell him she was leaving, and she doubted he would hold her close like this with that news. 

Still, at least she had these moments with him, and would be able to kiss him before she left.

The kiss.

Anna opened her eyes and slightly stiffened at the thought she might have missed the cue. He softly rubbed his fingers over her hands to calm her down, and Anna relaxed as she realized there were still a few notes before then. Of course she didn’t miss the cue. He wouldn’t have let her. He would have taken control or something if she did. 

The cue finally came. He let go of her hands, but kept his arms wrapped around her as she turned and took off the hood of the cloak, just as the script had called for. There were gasps from the audience, but they both ignored it.

Kristoff smiled at her, his brown eyes locking with her blue ones. He was wearing a different mask - a white one that only covered the scarred side of his face. Anna wondered if that was more comfortable for him or not, but now was not the time to ask. She would ask him later. 

“We’ve passed the point of no return,” they sang together. Anna rested one hand on his left cheek, the other arm wrapping around his neck as she leaned in for the kiss. 

The kiss was different than how Anna expected it to be. Despite how many times she had kissed Hans, nothing could compare to this. His lips were rougher, and the mask pressing against her face felt weird, but his gentleness as his lips moved with hers made up for all of it. 

The kiss ended much too soon for Anna’s liking. She knew it had to. They had to continue with the play. But she had hoped they could have a longer moment together, especially considering the bad news she had to tell him later. 

Kristoff pulled the cloak back over his head, and walked of the stage. Anna stood there for a few moments, fingers pressed against her lips. It had technically been part of the script, but she didn’t feel like she was acting right now. Her character’s thoughts and emotions were exactly how she was feeling now. 

Elsa ran into the stage, and started reciting her lines as she looked back and forth between the “mysterious man” who was nowhere to be found and her. 

Anna smiled at her gushing friend, and laughed at Elsa’s ridiculous claim about them getting married someday. 

“Things like that only happen in fairy tales, believe me,” Anna replied. “Now, I must go. I have a lot of things to do.” She picked up the skirt of her dress a little and ran off stage. 

She took a quick break and drank some water, trying to calm down her emotions and refocus on the actual show. She was thankful Kristoff had included this break for her, as it had been a long ten minutes of singing and dancing. 

A thought suddenly crossed her mind. He wrote the entire script, and she didn’t really have to act after that kiss. Did Kristoff really predict how she would react to their kiss? Did he really know her that well? Or was it just a lucky guess based on other books that had similar things?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna tells Kristoff she has to leave. The result is different than anything she was expecting.

The rest of the show played through smoothly. Anna was the last one to run on the stage during the curtain call, and she was surprised by how much the audience clapped for her. She curtsied, and then took a couple of steps back to join everyone else for the final bow. Kai was on her right, with Elsa on her left. Kristoff never returned back on stage, mainly because the mysterious man never returned. It was left to the viewer to find out what happened with the two characters. 

He wasn’t here for the final bow, either, though. Anna didn’t mind too much. It gave her time to focus on the audience and the other cast members. 

Everyone bowed and then stood upright with their arms high in the air. Anna smiled the entire time, adrenaline still pumping through her veins as the audience continued to clap for them. Finally, the curtain closed, and everyone released their grips. 

Anna pulled Elsa in for a tight hug before she could run off. 

“You were amazing out there,” she stated. 

“I feel like I’m the one who should be complimenting and congratulating you!” Elsa exclaimed. “You sang that amazing solo that reached some extremely high notes, and were somehow able to continue singing and dancing immediately after. You’ll have to tell me your secret!” 

“It just comes from a lot of practice, really,” Anna replied. “And a great teacher, like your mother.” 

“And your mystery man?” Elsa inquired. Anna stiffened. “Come on. It’s no secret you two have some sort of connection. I saw how you two were on stage. No one is that close to Mr. Bjorgman. Not even my mother. He must like you a lot to let you be that close to him. And I know that’s why you didn’t tell anyone about the engagement as well.” 

“Can you please stop talking about it?” Anna asked, averting her gaze to the stage floor. 

“Anna, why are you so embarrassed about it? You don’t have to hide it. You can always break off engagements if there’s someone else you love more,” Elsa reasoned. 

“It’s not that. Entirely,” Anna stated. “It’s just... I have to leave tomorrow. And I may never come back here.” 

“Wait, you’re leaving? And you never told me?” Elsa asked. Anna could see the hurt in her eyes at the admission. 

“I wasn’t keeping it a secret on purpose. I didn’t even know I was leaving tomorrow until just before the show started.”

“Who’s going to take your place?” Elsa asked.

“Most likely Olina. Or maybe you. You both would be able to fill my shoes without any problem.” 

“Olina might, but I still am nowhere near your level,” Elsa replied. 

“You’ll get there someday. You’re talented, and you have a great teacher as a mother. I believe in you,” Anna responded. 

“I’m going to miss you,” Elsa admitted, hugging Anna again. 

“I’ll miss you too. I’ll try to write to you whenever I can,” Anna promised. “But I need to go change, pack, and also tell Kristoff I’m leaving.” 

“He’s going to be so heartbroken,” Elsa stated glumly. 

“I know. It may be the end of our friendship entirely, but Hans is insistent, and I really don’t want to double cross him.” 

“He seems like a great guy as well. I wish I got to know him a little better, but he never hangs around here except when he’s with you.”

“Yeah. Maybe you can come visit sometime, if we ever settle somewhere permanently, and you can get to know him then.” 

“That would be great. And you should try to visit every now and then as well. I’m sure everyone would appreciate it.” 

Anna nodded, and they hugged one last time before saying goodbye and going their separate ways. 

Anna went into her dressing room and changed back into her regular clothes. She left her hair the way it was, as she actually loved this style. 

She slowly walked back up the stairs to their room. This could be the last time she walks up these stairs. It was for sure going to be the last time she slept in her bed here. This would be one of the last times she saw Kristoff. 

Kristoff.

She still didn’t know what she was going to say to him. Part of her didn’t want to tell him, just so she could avoid seeing that sad look in his eyes. That would be extremely selfish of her, though. She had already learned her lesson from that. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. If she told him, maybe they could still keep the relationship they had going.

Anna slowly opened the door, wanting to delay the conversation as much as she could. She realized too late that she could have gone downstairs to eat dinner if she wanted to avoid the conversation. Now she just had to suck it up and spill the beans. 

Kristoff was sitting at the bench like always, but turned to face her once she was fully in the room. 

“Hey you!” he exclaimed, standing up and walking over to her to give her a hug. “You did a brilliant job out there!” 

“I couldn’t have done it without all of your help,” Anna replied honestly. 

“You doubt yourself too much,” Kristoff said, walking back over to the piano. “You’ll see. I’m not quite finished with the play yet, but it’s turning out to be about the same level as this one. Maybe I’ll have you learn most of this one on your own so you can see how amazing you are by yourself.” 

“Right. About that... I’m not going to be able to be in your next play,” Anna blurted. Kristoff froze for a moment. She saw him take a deep breath before facing her. 

“What do you mean? Why can’t you be in the next play?” he asked. He knew the answer. Anna was certain of that. He was trying to see if there was any other reason, though. He didn’t want that to be true any more than she did. 

“Hans came to talk to me before the show. He announced we’re leaving tomorrow. He didn’t give me a chance to tell him no.” Kristoff inhaled sharply, and he pinched the bridge of his nose to try and calm down. “I promise, this one was last minute. I had no clue about it until just before the show! And I’m really, truly sorry about it. I wish there was some way I could stay. I want to stay.” 

Kristoff walked over to her, grabbing her arms firmly. He made sure not to squeeze them too much so he didn’t hurt her. Anna raised her gaze to look into his brown eyes. She could see the hurt and sorrow in them, just like she was expecting, but there was another emotion mingled in there that she couldn’t identify. 

“I want you to stay,” Kristoff replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “Stay with me. Please.” 

Anna truly did want to stay. She didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t even like seeing the traces of hurt in his eyes. She didn’t want to look at them anymore. She took a step forward, and Kristoff released his grip. She slowly took off the white mask, set it on the floor, and then graze her fingers over his scarred cheek. Kristoff watched her with a confused look on his face, but didn’t stop her at all. She stroked his cheek a couple more times, and then stood on her tiptoes and locked her lips with his. 

Kristoff inhaled sharply at the sudden contact, but quickly reciprocated the kiss. 

“Anna...,” he whispered when they broke from the kiss to catch their breaths.

“Don’t say a word. I don’t want this moment to be ruined,” Anna whispered back. Kristoff simply nodded, and then leaned over to kiss her again. Anna wrapped her arms around his neck, and Kristoff took the chance to pick her up so they had a better angle. 

Anna squealed at the sudden position change. The sound was mostly muffled, but Kristoff still felt the vibrations the sound made against his lips and smiled. Anna’s legs wrapped around his waist. Kristoff wrapped one arm around her waist for the extra support, and tangled his free hand in her hair. He tugged it, forcing Anna to open her mouth in a gasp. That small opening was enough for Kristoff to deepen the kiss with his tongue. Anna moaned against his lips as she started moving her tongue with his, fighting for dominance. 

Kristoff walked them over to the bed as they continued their passionate battle. He sat down on the bed, with Anna sitting in his lap. Anna shifted to get more comfortable, accidentally grinding against him. The action made Kristoff remember the seriousness of the situation, and he pulled away from the kiss. Anna whimpered at the loss of their contact, and tried to find his lips again without opening her eyes. Kristoff gripped her shoulders and kept her an arm’s length away. 

“Anna. I need you to look at me please,” he said. 

“I thought we agreed not to talk?” she asked. 

“We have to talk before we move forward. I want to be sure you want to continue. Because there will come a point when I won’t be able to hold back anymore, and with how we’re going, that point is coming up fast. Please look at me.” 

Anna reluctantly opened her eyes, and Kristoff smiled as he saw the ocean blue irises again. 

“Are you sure you want to continue? Do you understand what continuing will mean for you? For both of us?” 

Anna nodded. Her parents had given her The Talk. She knew what continuing this would mean. And she wanted it with him. 

“I do know what it means. And I know I want to do it with you.” 

“But you’re enga-.” Anna our her hand over his mouth to stop him from finishing that sentence. 

“Let’s forget about all of that tonight. I just want you, right here, right now.” She removed her hand from his mouth. Kristoff opened it to say something, but Anna stopped him, this time with another passionate kiss. Kristoff continued trying to pull away to speak, but Anna stopped him every time with a deeper kiss until he stopped resisting and followed along with what she really wanted. 

***

They both laid in bed, exhausted. Kristoff has given her his shirt to wear so she didn’t have to get up and find a nightgown. 

Despite how exhausted she was, Anna still couldn’t help but think about what tomorrow would bring. 

“Kristoff?” she whispered. 

“Yes, Anna?” Kristoff whispered back. 

“I meant it when I said I didn’t want to leave,” she replied. “I still don’t. But I don’t think I can convince Hans to let me stay any longer.” 

“I know you mean what you say. I believe you,” Kristoff answered. “And don’t worry about Hans. Just get some sleep, and I will help you with that issue tomorrow. I promise.” Kristoff pulled her close and kissed her forehead. 

“Thank you,” Anna said. A yawn overtook her, and she succumbed to the sleep her body desperately needed as Kristoff rubbed her back. 

The last thing she heard was a whispered “I love you” before she lost all connection to the real world.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning (from Anna’s perspective).

When Anna woke the next morning, Kristoff was no longer in the bed with her. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes before scanning the room. He was nowhere in the bedroom. She stood up and quickly changed into her casual blue dress. She didn’t think it would be a good idea to walk around the entire building wearing only Kristoff’s shirt. 

She walked over to Box Five to see if he was there. She knew he had asked her not to bother him if he chose to go there, but Hans was going to be here any minute, and she needed to know where he was. 

There were no signs of him in his box either. Anna was starting to get worried. Where could he be? 

She ran downstairs to the cafeteria. Maybe he decided to get breakfast early. But when she opened the door to look inside, it was completely empty. Still, she chanced calling his name. Maybe he was in the kitchen. 

“Kristoff?” she called. “Are you in here?” 

The chef looked up to see her standing there, and he shook his head. Kristoff wasn’t there either. 

She ran to the stage. She doubted Kristoff would be on the stage, but maybe someone there would know where he went. She sighed in relief when she saw both Yelana and Elsa there, talking about something. She ran over to them, and both women turned to her. 

“Hey! You’re still here!” Elsa exclaimed. 

“I am, but not for long,” Anna answered. “Have either of you seen Kr- I mean, Mr. Bjorgman?” 

“I haven’t seen him since his little intrusion in the show last night,” Yelana answered. There was no malice or anger in her voice. Anna briefly wondered if she knew about the setup, but didn’t ask. She had no time for that. 

“Do any of you know where he might be?” Anna asked. 

“No. Sorry, Anna. The only one he has let get close enough to tell his whereabouts to is you. He doesn’t usually speak to us unless it’s something about a show,” Elsa replied. Anna crowned, and Elsa shot her a look of sympathy. “Is there some place you haven’t checked yet that might be a possible place for him?” 

“Actually, I haven’t checked the roof yet. I’ll go there now. Thanks, ladies,” Anna said, turning to run off the stage. 

“Hey! Come say goodbye to us before you leave!” Elsa called after her. Anna turned slightly and gave her a thumbs up. She didn’t stop running until she had reached the roof. 

“Kristoff? Are you up here?” she called. “Kristoff, where are you? I need you!” 

“Anna!” a faint voice called. It wasn’t the voice she wanted to hear, though. She looked over the edge to see Hans climbing out of the carriage. He was here to pick her up, and she wasn’t even close to being ready. 

There was no more time to look for Kristoff. He clearly wasn’t going to keep his promise. She had to do this herself. 

She ran back downstairs, and nearly ran into Elsa. 

“Did you find him?” she asked, her voice high with hope. 

“No. And Hans just showed up,” Anna replied glumly. “Can you do me a favor?” 

“Anything,” Elsa responded. 

“I haven’t done any packing to leave today. Can you figure out some way to stall him for me?” 

“I will do my best,” Elsa replied. Anna thanked her, and then ran upstairs to start packing. 

She pulled the suitcase out from the bottom of the closet. She honestly never thought she’d have to use it again when she put it away two years ago. She was still unsure what she was doing for the first year there, but then she became used to the place, and that’s when she unpacked everything. 

Now she was packing everything back up, and she had more stuff than what she came here with. 

She tried not to think about the memories associated with each outfit as she packed them away. She didn’t have time for that. But as she got down to the last few dresses - all the ones Kristoff had bought her when they were out looking for a Masquerade dress - she couldn’t help but slow down a little to reminisce on that. A few tears streamed down her cheeks at the memories. 

“Anna! What is taking you so long?! We need to go!” Hand shouted from downstairs, bringing Anna back to reality. Anna took a deep breath and wiped the tears away. She had no time to reminisce now. She would have to do that later. She quickly packed the last few dresses and zipped up the suitcase. 

She started walking out of the room, but stopped. It would be rude not to at least leave him a thank you note. After all, he had done so much for her, with giving her a place to live and getting her into being an actress. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and began scribbling words onto it. 

“ANNA! We need to go! NOW!” Hans shouted. Anna sighed. 

“I’ll be right down!” Anna said. She signed her name, folded the paper, and placed it on the top of the piano where she knew Kristoff would find it. She took one last look at the room as she grabbed her suitcase, silently saying goodbye, and then walked downstairs. 

“Sorry, Anna. I tried my best,” Elsa said as Anna entered the lobby. 

“It’s okay. Thank you, Elsa,” Anna replied, hugging her best friend. 

“Please promise you’ll write,” Elsa said. 

“I’ll do my best,” Anna replied. 

“Come on, Anna. We need to go,” Hans repeated. Anna turned to face her fiancé. 

“Hans, is there any way we can stay for a few more months? Please? I really don’t want to leave.” 

Hans grabbed Anna’s arm and pulled her close, a bit too roughly for her liking. 

“Are you trying to create a scene?” he whispered in her ear. “I will not stand to be humiliated, Anna. And no, we can’t stay. We’re leaving today. End of discussion.” 

“Okay,” Anna said. “I just need to say goodbye to Yelana, and-.” 

“No. We don’t have any time for goodbyes. I’m sure Elsa can pass on the message. If we’re any later, the boat will leave without us,” Hans said. Anna turned back to Elsa.

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell everyone, including Yelana,” Elsa promised. 

“Thank you, Elsa. I hope I’ll see you soon.” 

“I’m sure we’ll cross paths again,” Elsa said. “Have a safe trip!” 

Anna raised her hand to wave, but Hans quickly grabbed it and guided her out of the opera house and into the carriage. Anna didn’t miss the fact that he didn’t even try to help her with the suitcase. 

“Take us to the docks,” Hans instructed. The coachman nodded, and the carriage started moving. Anna was sitting on the left side, and was able to watch the Opera house as it became smaller and smaller. 

Hans grabbed her hand, and Anna turned her gaze away to face him. 

“I know you’ll miss being there, but trust me, once you see what the rest of the world has to offer, you’ll realize what you’ve been missing, and won’t want to go back to that filthy place.” 

“It was never filthy,” Anna retorted. “It was perfect.” 

“Figure of speech, my dear Anna,” Hans replied. “I’ll show you things more spectacular than that. Things you could never even dream of. I promise you that.” 

The trip to the docks only took about ten minutes. Anna climbed out of the carriage by herself, dragging the suitcase behind her. Hans walked over to her side and grabbed her hand, holding it tight as they walked towards the ship that was going to start their indefinite journey. 

The breeze was colder than Anna remembered, and she shivered. 

“Are you alright?” Hans asked, stopping them in their tracks and turning to face her. 

“Yeah. I just need to put something else on once I get to my room. I forgot how cold it will be on the ship,” Anna answered. 

“You’ll have to get used to wearing more layers, then. It’s going to be a long journey on the water,” Hans replied. Anna simply nodded as they walked onto the ship and greeted the captain. 

“Are we ready to set sail?” the captain asked. 

“Yes, we are. Take us to the Southern Isles,” Hans answered. 

“Wait. We’re going to your home first?” Anna asked. 

“Yes. I want to get married before we get too far on our trip, and my parents want to be there for it,” Hans answered. 

“Oh. That sounds... great,” Anna replied, certain her voice didn’t sound nearly as excited about that as it should have been. She knew they would get married. Of course she did. She just didn’t expect it to be this soon. 

“Good. I’m glad you think so,” Hans said as the boat began moving away from the docks. “Because I’m ready to start a family with you, but I know you always wanted to wait until you were married before you made love to anyone.” 

The memories of the night before came back to Anna. The deed that she was supposed to have only done with the man she married, but had chosen to do it with Kristoff first. 

She simply nodded in agreement with Hans. He didn’t know about the forbidden act, and he didn’t need to know she did it. It would stay her little secret for as long as she lived. 

She turned and looked towards Arendelle as the boat travelled away from it. Her home. The place she had lived for her entire life. She was leaving, and she had no clue if she would ever return. Her heart ached at the thought of never seeing this place again. 

Hans grabbed her hand, and she turned her gaze away from the city for a brief moment to look at him. 

“Come on. Let me show you to your room,” he said. 

“Okay,” Anna said. She looked at the city one last time and said a silent goodbye before walking below deck. 

She never saw the figure running on the docks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning (from Kristoff’s perspective).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one chapter that I highly recommend having tissues for. You have been warned.

~~ Kristoff’s POV ~~

Kristoff had woken up extra early the next morning. He wanted to surprise Anna with something special for breakfast. 

He looked down at the sleeping woman. Her mouth was wide open, and she was drooling a little, but Kristoff couldn’t help but find it absolutely adorable. He wished he could see her like this every morning. He hoped that would actually be his future; that he would be able to keep her, and one day marry her. 

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and then followed the piece down to the shirt she was wearing. One of his shirts, to be exact. A clear sign of the act they did the night before. He still couldn’t believe they had actually done that. He didn’t regret one bit of it, though, and if given the chance, he would do it all over again. 

He leaned down, his lips barely touching her forehead. Anna sighed, and turned onto her side. 

“I’ll be back shortly,” he whispered. “Sleep as long as you want.” Anna didn’t answer. He didn’t really expect her to. She always had been a deep sleeper. He didn’t want to leave her side. He wanted to just continue watching her. But he had to go, if he was going to get the surprise for her. 

He slowly turned away from her and stood up, stretching as he stood. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out some casual clothes with his typical mask that covered the bottom half of his face. He ran his fingers through his hair, and put on a hat to hide how messy it was. He would take care of it later. He had to hurry to get to the bakery. 

He looked at Anna one last time and smiled, before walking out of the room. 

It was colder this morning, and Kristoff was thankful that he put on a sweater an not a T shirt. The bakery was five blocks away, and opened right at dawn. It was also one of the busiest places in the city, especially in the morning, which is why he had to leave so early. 

There was already a line when Kristoff arrived to the bakery. He groaned. He really didn’t want to wait in line, but it was for Anna. He could do it for her. He just hoped she wouldn’t be impatient and fill up on some other food first. 

It took him half an hour to get to the register to order. 

“Good morning. Can I get six donuts? One of them with jelly filling, a maple bar, an apple fritter, a cream filled one, one with sprinkles, and a chocolate bar,” Kristoff requested. 

“Yes. That will be twenty francs,” the baker replied. Kristoff paid the man what he owed. “I will have all this out for you in about ten minutes.” 

“Ten? No, five,” Kristoff argued. He really couldn’t waste another minute here. 

“I will make the order as fast as I can, sir, but it is going to take some time, especially for the jelly filled one.” 

Kristoff sighed and sat down in one of the chairs. The jelly filled one was the main one he needed. Anna loved messy foods, and those kinds of donuts were definitely the messiest. He smiled just thinking about the jelly center squirting everywhere as she bit into it. He imagined her using that amazing tongue of hers to lick the jelly around her lips. He let his mind wander, imagining them having another French kiss, but stopped himself there. She was still engaged to Hans. As long as she was engaged, he wasn’t going to do anything else like that with her. Hopefully today he would be able to help break off the engagement so that Anna could be free, and they could be together forever.

_“I don’t want to leave. I want to stay.”_

Kristoff looked outside to see the sun was already starting to rise. He had to hurry. Anna wasn’t usually an early bird, but she had her days. 

“Here’s your order, sir,” the baker announced. Kristoff walked up and grabbed the brown bag. He thanked the baker, and then ran out of the building back to the Opera house.

He nearly ran into Elsa when he entered the house. 

“What seems to be the hurry, Mr. Bjorgman?” Elsa asked. 

“Nothing major. I just thought I would go for an early morning run,” Kristoff responded. “Anna isn’t awake yet, is she?” 

“Anna?” Elsa repeated.

“Yes, Anna. One of your co-stars,” Kristoff replied. “Have you seen her this morning?” 

“Yes, actually, I have,” Elsa replied. 

“Oh. That’s fine. Do you know where she is?” 

“She didn’t tell you?” Elsa asked, her voice quiet. 

“Tell me what?” Kristoff asked. He was starting to become very worried. Elsa was acting so unlike herself. 

“That she was leaving today with Hans. He’s already come and picked her up. She’s gone,” Elsa answered. Kristoff took a step back. No. This couldn’t be happening. She said she didn’t want to go, so why didn’t she tell him what time Hans was going to pick her up? 

“How long?” he asked.

“What?” 

“How long have they been gone?!” Kristoff shouted. He didn’t have time to stand around and chat anymore.

“About five minutes,” she replied. Kristoff set the brown bag on the table by the door and then ran out of the building. 

“Where are you going?” Elsa called after him. 

“To save Anna,” he replied, not turning back and not stopping. 

This couldn’t be happening. He refused to believe it. Not after last night. Not after everything that had transpired. 

That jerk was going to pay for taking Anna away against her will. Unless Anna didn’t even put up a fight? No. Kristoff refused to believe that either. Anna was a fighter through and through. The only reason she would still be going is because Hans forced her to.

The boat was already leaving when he reached the top of the hill that overlooked the fjord. He could see them standing together on the boat. 

“Anna!” he shouted, but she didn’t seem to make any movements. He was still too far away. He ran down the hill as fast as he could without falling, continuing to call her name in hopes that she would hear him at some point. Memories started playing through his mind of the last time he was in this situation. He had just been dropped off at the orphanage. He ran past the orphanage director and tried to follow his parents’ car, desperate to join them again. He didn’t want to be alone.

He didn’t want to be alone. 

But just like that day at the orphanage, the vehicle was too fast for him. He was too slow. He reached the edge of the dock, but the boat was too far away for him to swim safely to. 

_”ANNA!”_ he shouted at the top of his lungs. His last attempt to get her back. The last thing he could think of to do. It was all futile, though. She never even heard him. She was gone, and he would never see her again. 

Kristoff slumped to the ground, and slammed his fist against the wood. Stupid. He was so stupid for leaving her alone, on the day when she would be leaving. He should have stayed. He should have stayed by her side until after Hans left. Now she was gone. He was all alone. Again. And unlike the last two times, there was no one here to help comfort him. He was alone.

He eventually stood up. As much as he wanted to just stay there and never leave - just stay here until he died - he was freezing, and he had work that needed to be done. He took one last look at the fading ship before turning away and walking back to his home. 

The walk was long and seemed like it would never end. He made it, though. He ignored all of the chatter in the lobby. He picked up the brown bag and walked to his room. 

The room seemed emptier somehow. Anna never really had that much, but apparently it had been enough to make a difference when she took everything out. 

His shirt that she had worn to bed last night was laying on the ground. Kristoff picked it up and raised it to cover his face. It smelled like her. He felt himself begin to crumble a little as the reality of the situation hit him once again. 

He opened the closet, and inhaled deeply when he saw how empty it was. It hadn’t been this empty in years. He forgot what it looked like without all of Anna’s shirts and dresses in there. He grabbed a hanger and hung up the shirt, in hopes that would preserve her scent for as long as possible. He didn’t know what else to do. 

He walked over to the piano. Maybe playing some songs would help distract him from reality. 

He was about to set the bag of untouched donuts on the top when he noticed the folded piece of paper. He picked it up, set the bag down in its place, and opened the letter as he sat on the bench. 

He immediately recognized Anna’s cursive writing on it. 

_Dear Kristoff,_

_If you’re reading this, I guess I’ve already left and am long gone. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stay longer. I really wanted to, but even now, Hans is pushing me to finish up and leave. But I knew it would be rude if I didn’t at least leave a thank you note._

_Thank you for taking me in when I had no one. If it wasn’t for you, I may not even be alive right now. You took such good care of me, and helped me with the vocal lessons so that I could become a lead actress. I will never forget that. I hope that I will be able to continue doing that in the very near future._

_Oh! And thank you for all the dresses. I brought every single one of them with me. I love them so much, and will wear them until I can no longer wear them because they’re torn. (You and I both know I’m really good at that.)_

Kristoff let out a sad chuckle. She hadn’t torn any dresses recently, but he remembered the day not long after she moved in that she had been running downstairs, stepped on the hem of the dress, and completely tore it. He had been walking up the stairs when it happened, but grabbed her arm before she toppled down the remaining steps. She had straightened herself, and then hurriedly walked the rest of the way downstairs, embarrassed. Kristoff had just thought of it as cute, and a classic Anna move. 

He continued reading the letter. 

_And hey, I know we’re not together anymore for you to verbally promise me this, and I may never see you actually do it, but can you do this one last thing for me? Promise me you won’t immediately put back up your walls because I’m gone. You’re a really great guy, and I think you should let others have the chance to see that. You don’t have to open up to strangers, but maybe try with some of the theater group first, like Elsa and Yelana. I know you let Yelana be a little closer than anyone else (besides me). She clearly can accept you. Let her daughter accept you as well. You’ll see not everyone will be afraid of that scar, just like I wasn’t. Some of us are actually able to see the beauty underneath._

_I want to say so much more. These last three years have quite possibly been the best years of my life. But Hans is yelling for me again, and I’m really just trying to dawdle to see if maybe, just maybe, you’ll come back in time to keep me here. I wish you were here. I really needed you. If I don’t see you in the next five minutes, then I hope one day we cross paths again. I would love to see you again. I’ll miss you so much - more than you may ever know._

_Good luck with your new shows, and don’t ever stop writing. I hope one day people will be able to know the man behind the music. Stay strong, even if it’s just for me. I’ll always be thinking about you._

_Love,  
Anna._

A stray tear was already sliding down his cheek, but they came full force as he read the last line under her signature and clutched the letter close to his chest. 

_P.S. I love you, too._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten years later (Kristoff’s perspective)

~~ Kristoff’s POV ~~

Kristoff was holding her hand tight, afraid that if he let go even a little, she would disappear. They were on their way to their favorite spot to get some milkshakes. 

Kristoff had made some sort of joke, and Anna laughed. He loved that sound. It sounded like chimes blowing in the wind. It made him feel at home. He loved her so much. 

“Kristoff,” she whispered. 

“Yes, babe?” he whispered back. 

“Can I tell you a secret?” she asked. 

“Sure. I love secrets,” Kristoff responded. 

Anna stopped in her tracks. Kristoff stopped as well and turned to face her. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear, “I think you would look amazing with a beard.” 

“Really? You would actually like that?” Kristoff asked. Anna simply nodded. “The roughness of it wouldn’t bother you when we kissed?” 

“I don’t think so,” Anna replied. “But just in case it might, let’s get some soft skin kisses in now.” Kristoff chuckled, and pulled her closer. Anna wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down so she could lock her lips with his. 

Kristoff held her close, tangling his fingers through her hair as they kissed. Suddenly, the heat from her body disappeared, and he could no longer feel her. 

“Anna?” he said, and opened his eyes. Anna was no longer there. He wasn’t even outside. He was laying in bed, with the bed sheets wrapped around his fingers like Anna’s hair had been. 

He sighed. It had been another dream. Anna wasn’t here. He hadn’t seen her in years. Ten years, to be exact. Nevertheless, he dreamed about her almost every night, and woke up every morning to an empty bed. It had been ten years, but his heart still ached for her. 

He ended up moving away from Arendelle a few years ago, unable to handle all the constant reminders. Every place sparked a memory of their time together, and he couldn’t bear it anymore. He never went to that restaurant with the milkshakes after she left. It just wouldn’t be the same without her. 

He had moved to America, along with Elsa and Yelana. Olina and Kai had retired shortly after Anna left, and Olaf and Sven were needed somewhere else. Kristoff was a bit upset to see Sven leave. He wondered if they would have been friends if Kristoff had talked to him more. Sven was definitely a better manager than Olaf. 

Kristoff didn’t even expect Yelana and Elsa to join him, but he was kind of glad they did. It was nice to have someone he knew here with him in this new city. They were also the two closest people in his life now. They weren’t on a first name basis with him - Kristoff refused to let anyone call him by his first name - but they were still friends. 

He looked out the window to see the sun was already higher than he wanted it to be. He had slept in too long. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. It was time to start the new day. Another day without Anna by his side. 

He wished he could just lie there and do nothing all day. He wished he could just stay where he was in bed until she returned to him. But that was wishful thinking. She was married to Hans now, living comfortably in the Southern Isles, and from the last picture he saw of her, they had a son. She was clearly happy where she was.

Besides, Kristoff had moved away from Arendelle. Anna didn’t know where he lived now. That had been the hardest part of this decision. He knew that would be the risk of moving to a new place, but he couldn’t stay at his old place. He had to move on like she had. 

It didn’t stop him from dreaming about her, or thinking about her every time he heard a female voice sing. 

It also didn’t stop him from keeping a journal, where he wrote letters addressed to her that he never actually sent to her. He never sent them, partly because he didn’t want it falling into the wrong hands, and partly because he didn’t want her seeing him as the pathetic loser he was. It was stupid for him to still be in love with her.

He pulled the journal out from the drawer of his nightstand and flipped it open to the first empty page. He made a mental note to get a new journal soon. 

_Dear Anna,_

_It’s been ten long years since we saw each other last. How have you been? How’s your son doing? I haven’t seen a picture of him in a few years. Does he look more like you or Hans? I hope he looks more like you. Does he have your ocean blue eyes? Or those lovely freckles that I could spend hours counting and never finish? I would love to meet him one day._

_It’s been ten years since we saw each other. Ten years since I heard your beautiful voice, and that beautiful laugh that seemed to emerge at least once a day. I still remember the sounds like I just heard them yesterday. Sometimes I dream about hearing and seeing you again. I think about us being together again, like we were before the final performance. It tears me apart waking up to find you aren’t here. I wish you would come visit, but that would require a huge miracle, as I don’t even live in Arendelle anymore._

_If I gave you my new address, would you come see me? Or would it just be a waste of ink?_

_Well, I guess these letters are a waste of ink as well. It’s not like I’ve ever torn out a single piece of paper from the notebook to send to you. I don’t even know why I write these letters. Maybe as a way to make me feel like I’m talking to you, because there’s no one else I talk to about personal things. It’s always about the show and nothing else._

_I miss you, and I hope you’re still doing well with Hans and your son. By the way, what’s his name? Knowing you, you would have chosen something special. I would love to know what name you chose for him._

_I am still not good at ending these letters, but I hope to hear from you soon, even if it’s just from some news letter. Remember, I will always love you._

_With love, your Opera Ghost,  
Kristoff Bjorgman_

That was the last page of the notebook. Kristoff walked over to his closet and pulled out a box. The box that contained notebooks full of all the unsent letters he had written over the years. He set the newly finished notebook in that box and hid it back in his closet. 

A knock sounded at the door. 

“Mister Bjorgman? Everyone is asking for your assistance downstairs.” It was Elsa. She had become a lot more responsible over the last ten years, going from being a dancer, to having some major roles, and even starting to be a dance director alongside her mother. 

“I will be right down,” Kristoff called back. He grabbed a new shirt to wear for the day, then closed the closet door, not looking back at the box. He quickly changed shirts, and combed his hair. 

He ran a hand over his beard. He didn’t initially want it, but after a few lazy days of not shaving it, he realized he liked the look of it, and decided to just keep it. He did wonder how Anna would react to it. Would she like it, or would she think he looked better shaved? Last he saw, Hans didn’t have a beard. Kristoff wondered if that was Anna’s decision, or his. 

He pushed the thought aside. There was no time to think about that. The stage crew needed him. He grabbed his usual mask that covered the bottom half of his face and put it on. 

Despite what Anna had said, he was still afraid of rejection from people seeing his scar. And he liked to hide as much of himself as possible. He didn’t even like being at meetings, but he needed to be there if the show was going to be good. Good, not perfect. It would never be perfect without Anna. 

He looked himself over, making sure he had everything on, and then walked downstairs. 

“Oh, good. You finally arrived,” Yelana said. 

“Yes, I am here. What did you need?” Kristoff asked. 

“We did the choreography a little different for the Entr’acte. We want your opinion on it,” Elsa explained. 

“Okay. Show me what you have,” Kristoff said, and he watched as all the ladies ran up to the front of the stage, getting in their beginning stances. He saw a redhead in the mix, and momentarily thought it might be Anna making a surprise appearance. When the woman’s face turned to face him, though, he realized the only similarity was their hair color. Everything else about this woman was different. 

He didn’t know why he kept expecting her to be there. He shook his head slightly and focused on the matter at hand, shutting his brain off from any thoughts about Anna. 

The dance routine wasn’t very long, but it would still make a great introduction to the second half of the show. 

“That looks great!” Kristoff exclaimed. “Who came up with this choreography?”

“I did!” Elsa beamed. 

“Amazing job!” Kristoff complimented. “Keep that up, and we may be nominated for best choreography!” 

“You really mean that?” Elsa asked, and Kristoff nodded. 

“I really do,” he responded. “But I did not eat breakfast yet, so I’m going to go eat alone now. Keep practicing, and I’ll see how you are doing this afternoon.”

“Mister E,” Yelana called as he was turning to walk off the stage. That had been the new name he wanted people here in New York to know him by. The less people knew of his real self, the better for him. “While you’re eating, could you look through these papers? They’re of new actors and actresses who want to join the show.” 

“Madame, with all due respect, I don’t think I want to hire anyone else,” Kristoff replied. 

“Maybe you will change your mind after you look through this stack,” Yelana countered, handing the stack over to him. “I think there are some great candidates in here.” 

“Okay. I will take a look, but I’m not making any promises,” Kristoff answered, grabbing the papers. Yelana smiled with satisfaction.

“Alright, ladies! Once again, from the top!” Kristoff heard her shout as he walked off the stage and to the kitchen to grab some food. The food was already sitting on the counter, waiting for him. Kristoff frowned. That meant it was most likely cold. He missed the days when his food would be made fresh and brought up to his room without having to ask. 

He grabbed the plate and walked back up to his room. Sitting on the bed, he set the plate on the nightstand and decided to take a look at some of the applications. 

He grabbed a piece of toast as he flipped the pages. Just as he expected, it was cold. And a little hard. He grimaced, but continued chewing. There wasn’t much he could do about it at this point. 

There were a few interesting applicants, but he really wasn’t interested in hiring anyone. They had enough people on the crew, and he didn’t understand why Yelana was pushing to get more. 

That was, until he got to the middle of the pile. He inhaled sharply when he saw the picture, dropping the toast on the floor. There was no way this was real. 

But it was real. He never thought of her new last name when dreaming. The name that was now staring at him in big bold letters. Her hair was up in a bun, which made her look a lot more mature, but her facial features were the same. Especially that little button nose. 

After years of silence, Anna Westergaard was looking for another gig as an actress.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten years later (Anna’s perspective)

~~ Anna’s POV ~~

It had been a long ten years since Anna left Arendelle. They had started off the trip getting married in the Southern Isles, just like Hans had wanted. After that, they were out at sea for a solid five years. The first year of that had been the worst for Anna, as she had been pregnant during that time, and the rocking of the boat made her more nauseous than she expected. Most days, she couldn’t even get out of bed. Then, after their son had been born, she constantly felt exhausted. Their baby didn’t do well with sleeping at first, either, which made it even harder. 

They made it through, though, and their son - whom they named Ronen - became very fond of being out at sea. It shouldn’t have been that surprising, considering it was all he knew for his first few years of life. When they returned to the Southern Isles permanently, Ronen struggled with the idea of not seeing something new every day. Anna also had to sleep with him in a rocking chair for the first month because he didn’t know how to sleep otherwise. 

Their stop at Hans’ home was supposed to be a short one, but Anna fought against them going back out to sea because of how much it was affecting Ronen. 

Fiver years later, and she was regretting her decision to stay. The permanent home had really helped with Ronen’s growth as a person, but Hans had started to drift away from her. 

It started out with Hans just going to a bar with his brothers for a drink, but quickly changed as time went on. Within six months of them being back in the Southern Isles, Hans had started going to a bar daily. He would leave before they even had dinner, and wouldn’t return until the wee morning hours when everyone was already asleep. 

Anna had tried confronting him about it shortly after it started, asking if she had done something that made him go down this path. He declined, and said he just enjoyed having some time alone, away from the hectic house. 

It was hectic, too, with three of Hans’ brothers, their wives, and their kids living here. Anna had that need for some alone time, as well, but she found a different, safer outlet for it. 

Actually, she had found the outlet for her alone time just before they got married. This part of Hans’ family lived in a mansion, and the mansion happened to have an entertainment room. With a piano. 

Anna’s mother had tried to teach her how to play the piano when she was younger, but Anna was inpatient and easily distracted, so she never fully learned. When she found the piano here, though, she felt a strange pull to it. She had walked cautiously toward it - still not used to being in this place yet. When she sat down and started playing a couple of simple notes, she felt safe and broken at the same time. She had begun crying, and couldn’t play anything else the rest of the day. She slowly got used to being around the piano, though, and taught herself how to play it (with some help from the books laying around). 

When Hans asked her why she had a sudden interest in playing the piano, Anna told him it helped her feel more connected to her mother. And it was slightly true. But her mother was not the main one she felt connected to. Playing the piano really made her feel connected to Kristoff. She remembered their countless practices together - just the two of them - where he would play the piano while she sang. 

The house was always abuzz with conversations (except when everyone was sleeping), and she had been taught not to disrupt any conversations. Singing wasn’t as much of an option for her these days. So, the piano was all she had. 

Ronen had found her playing it one day, and asked if he could learn it as well. Anna was more than happy to do that, and she watched as he learned it much faster than she did. He truly excelled at it, and Anna couldn’t help but feel proud. 

There were many things that he clearly got from her. She saw a lot of herself in his physical appearance as well. His hair was red, but it wasn’t dark like Hans’. It was a lighter color; closer to a strawberry blonde - like her hair. He also had freckles from head to toe, just like her. The only noticeable feature that didn’t match hers was his eyes. They were more of a honey brown color. People were surprised when they saw his eye color, expecting it to either be blue like Anna’s or green like Hans’. They quickly connected it to Hans’ father, who had brown eyes, and Anna decided to use that as the reason for his eye color whenever anyone else asked. After all, it wasn’t unusual for a child to have a different eye color than their parents’. There was just a higher chance of them having their parents’ eyes because of genetics. 

He was truly a mama’s boy, though. Maybe it was because he was an only child, but he preferred to be by her side instead of with his cousins any chance he could. Anna didn’t mind that at all. Especially since he was already halfway through his childhood. Soon, he would be an adult, and he would have the choice to leave and go on his own adventure if he wanted to. Anna wanted to savor every moment she had with her son - the one thing that gave her joy in this new life.

She wished she could say Hans gave her joy as well. After all, he was her husband. They had been married for ten years. But the Hans that existed now was not like the man that she married back then. The Hans she married didn’t go out drinking every night. The Hans she married loved hanging out with kids, and had shown that constantly with his nieces and nephews. Somehow, outside of their time on the boat when it was just the three of them to keep each other company, Hans had neglected his son. She could tell that Ronen was feeling the pain of that neglect. He probably didn’t fully realize what was going on, but she saw glimpses of it when Ronen would try to show him a new toy, and Hans would ignore him by keeping his eyes focused on a book. 

Anna had tried fighting Hans on that one, going as far as taking the book out of his hands to force him to watch their son. Hans punished her by locking her in their bedroom for the rest of the night, without any dinner. (Thankfully, one of her sisters-in-law snuck her some food after witnessing the fight.) 

Anna made sure to help Ronen still feel loved by playing with him when he asked, and reading him bedtime stories before he went to sleep. 

That’s exactly what she was doing the night everything changed again. Hans had left with his brothers to go to a casino for the night. He at least had the decency to give his son a kiss on the head before leaving, but Anna hated that he wouldn’t help her tuck their child in for bed at least once. 

“Good night, little bear,” Anna read as the book was concluding. “And remember, I will always love you.” 

“Thank you for the story, Mama,” Ronen whispered, already half asleep. 

“You’re welcome, little one. Sleep well,” Anna said, standing up from the bed and giving him a kiss on the head. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She ran her fingers through his hair as she watched his eyes flutter closed. When she was certain he was asleep, she walked out of the room and closed the door. 

Hans still hadn’t returned home. It was too early for him to return. But she didn’t feel like sleeping alone again. She wanted to stay up and wait for him. Or, at least, wait as long as she could. She wouldn’t be able to stay up until three in the morning if he actually stayed out that late, but she would wait until midnight for him. 

She walked into the entertainment room and closed the door. She turned on the lamp that sat on the piano. She had moved it there months ago, when she realized it was a main thing that helped her sleep at night, but didn’t want to alert anyone with the bright light hanging above. 

Normally she would try to play something upbeat and cheerful, but she didn’t feel like it tonight. Her thoughts were mostly about Kristoff tonight, and no cheerful song would help her quiet those thoughts. Instead, she decided to write her own song. 

She played the first few notes slowly, wanting to make sure it was at the exact tune that she wanted. 

“You were once my one companion. You were all that mattered.” She began, her voice quiet so that it didn’t wake or alert anyone. “You were once a friend and lover. Then my world was shattered.” 

She decided to move the notes up an octave, but kept the same emotional tone in her voice. “Wishing you were somehow here again. Wishing you were somehow near. Sometimes it seems, if I just dream, somehow you would be here.”

“Wishing I could hear your voice again, knowing that I never would. Dreaming of you won’t help me to do all that you dreamed I could.” 

She moved back to the lower scale. 

“Ten long years of pain and wonder, silent as a dead bell. Ten whole years of wrong companions. You were warm and gentle.” 

A stray tear slid down her cheek as she continued to play the piano, moving back up a couple scales. 

“Too many years I’ve been fighting back tears. Why can’t the past just die?!” Anna realized she was singing a little louder than appropriate, and quieted down just a little as she sang the chorus again. 

“Wishing you were somehow here again, knowing we might say goodbye. Try to forget. Teach me to let all of that pain go by. No more memories. No more silent tears. No more gazing across the wasted years. Help me say goodbye. Help me say goodbye.” 

She ended the song with one final chord, letting more tears slide down her cheeks. She missed him so much, it hurt. But she had to learn to move on, even if it was just for Ronen. 

“Just love,” she whispered her new mantra. “Just live. Just give all you can give, and take what little you deserve.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans makes a huge mistake that turns their life around.

She heard a door slam open downstairs, and jumped up from the piano. 

“I can’t believe you just did that!” she heard one of the brothers shout. “How stupid are you, Hans?! Do you not care about your family at all?” 

Anna was shocked and confused. What did Hans do while they were out? She ran out of the entertainment room and stopped halfway down the stairs that led to the front entrance. 

“Of course I care about my family! I was trying to get more money so we could better support ourselves!” Hans countered. 

“And in doing so, you threw every last penny away. What will your wife think when she finds out?” 

“She won’t hear about this. It will be our little secret.” 

Hans’ back was facing her. His brother - who Anna recognized as Fredrik - was looking right at her where she stood frozen on the stairs. 

“I think it’s a little too late for that,” he said, and pointed at her. Hans turned to face her. He looked furious. 

“What are you still doing up? Don’t you have to wake up early with Ronen?” he asked. 

“I wanted to wait for you tonight, so I could at least feel your body against mine as I slept,” Anna replied, wrapping her arms tight around her waist. “What is Fredrik talking about? Did you give up all of our money?” 

“First of all, it was never ‘our’ money. I’m the one who worked to earn it all. It was mine to do whatever I wanted with it. Second of all, yes, I may have lost it all tonight, but I will gain it all back when I go back tomorrow,” Hans answered. 

“Go back? With what money, Hans? You’re broke! There’s no way you can possibly gamble anymore!” Anna argued. 

“I can, and I will, and you can’t stop me.”

“I am your wife! I should have some say in this!”

“Anna! We need money!”

“Then get a job! That’s the better and safer way to make money!” 

“Yes, but it also takes longer,” Hans countered. 

“Hans, please be reasonable. If you won’t get a job for me, then do it for our son. Do it for Ronen!” 

“I will do things the way that I know works,” Hans said. “And for me, that’s gambling. All it takes is one lucky draw to gain everything back.”

“And it takes one unlucky draw to lose even more! I can’t let you do that, Hans. I have a child that I have to take care of.” 

“My brothers can take care of all of us until we’re back in good financial care,” Hans said. 

“I don’t want to rely on their money. That’s not how this is supposed to work. If you won’t get a job, then I will.” 

“Oh yeah? And where will you work, darling? You and I both know they don’t hire women to work.” 

“That’s not true. I still have my voice. I’m sure there’s some sort of singing or acting gig out there that I can do.” 

“No way,” Hans said. “No way am I letting you go back to that.”

“What? Why not?” Anna asked. 

“Because the last time you worked in theatre, you almost didn’t come home with me. There’s no way I’m risking that again.” 

“I was going to come here, eventually. I just wanted to do one more show. I just wanted a little more time.” 

“And how do I know this one little gig won’t turn into that?” Hans asked. Anna froze for a moment, as a memory hit her full force.

_“How can I know you’ll tell me if you’ll leave? How can I trust that you will be able to tell Hans no the next time he asks?”_

She closed her eyes tight and pushed the memory away. She had bigger fish to fry right now. 

“Well, I guess we really don’t know. But if that’s the case, at least I’ll have a stable job that pays well.” 

They stared at each other for a few moments. Anna could see the anger in Hans’ eyes at the fact that she, once again, was defying him in front of his family members. Anna didn’t care though. She was not going to make Ronen live on the street because Hans was being an idiot. 

Finally, Hans spoke again. 

“Okay. I’ll make a deal with you, Anna. I’ll go to the casino tomorrow.” Anna opened her mouth to protest, but Hans silenced her with a wave of his hand. “I wasn’t finished. Whether you like it or not, I’m going back to the casino tomorrow to get our fortunes back. If, for some reason, I am unable to get the money back, I will let you apply for some theatre careers. If, however, I do win all the money back, we will stay here, and you will never mention your previous career as an actress again. Do we have a deal?” 

Anna studied him for a moment. If she lost, she would never be able to do what she loved ever again. That was the risk here. But they needed the money, and Anna knew gambling wasn’t the way to do it. 

She walked over to him and shook his hand like she was working with a business partner instead of her husband. “Deal,” she said. Hans smirked.

“That’s a good little girl,” he whispered, and pulled her in for a kiss. It only lasted for a moment, and then he was walking up the stairs to their room. Anna followed close behind. 

***

Just as Anna expected, Hans lost more money than he gained the next night. Now, they were deep in debt. 

Their financial status kept Anna from feeling even a little satisfied that she was right, or that she would be able to sing in front of groups of people again. 

“How much?” Anna asked when Hans told her about his losses.

“What?” Hans droned. Anna grimaced. He wasn’t just an idiot who threw away all of their money and put them in debt. He was also drunk. 

“How much are we in debt?” she asked. 

“Um... I think about ten,” Hans replied. 

“Ten? As in ten thousand?!” Anna practically shouted. “Hans, what were you thinking?!” 

“I was just trying to help,” he responded. 

“Well, if it wasn’t for your family right now, you would have helped us right into the streets. You’re lucky that’s not the case.” She ran her fingers through her loose hair. “What are we going to do? I don’t know if an acting career can make us that much money. At least, not for five or ten years.” 

“You’ll manage. You always have,” Hans drawled. Anna could smell the alcohol on his breath, and it made her stomach turn. She couldn’t handle being around him like this.

“You reek. I’m going to bed. We’ll discuss this some more in the morning,” she stated. “Good night.” 

“Anna,” Hans began, reaching out for her. Anna took a step away from him, making him miss. He grumbled something, and Anna had a feeling she would pay for that in the morning. If he remembered. But right now, she didn’t care. 

What had happened to the man she had married? She stopped on the stairs and turned to see he was still slumped over the arm of the chair. He probably passed out when he tried grabbing her. She wondered what had driven him to become like this. She still sometimes wondered if it was something she did. Was it because she refused to go back out on a boat trip? He hadn’t brought it up again once since she declined five years ago, but that’s also when the drinking started.

She turned away and finished her climb to the bedroom. She still couldn’t believe that they were so far in debt. It would take a miracle for them to be financially stable again. She may have to work double time. That thought pained her more than anything. If she worked double time, she wouldn’t be able to put Ronen to bed. It was bad enough Hans missed bedtime. Ronen didn’t ned both of his parents to be out of the picture every night. 

She sighed as she laid down on the bed. She would worry about that later. Tomorrow, she would put her application out there, and see if anyone would be willing to take her in. She needed her sleep if she was going to look at least a little presentable for the camera tomorrow. 

***

He visited her in her dreams again. When Anna thought about it, he never truly left.

“Hey, babe. How are things going?” he asked with a smile. Anna tried to fake a smile, but he had always been able to see through her. “Is it really that bad?” 

“Hans just singlehandedly put us in debt. Now I have to look for an acting job,” Anna explained. 

“An acting job? That’s great! You’ll be back on the stage, doing the thing you love!” Kristoff exclaimed. 

“I know. I am happy about that, but the debt has me unnerved. How am I supposed to get us out of debt while still making sure that we have everything we need? Especially everything for little Ronen.”

“Do you really doubt yourself that much?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” she asked. 

“Anna, you’re an amazing actress and singer. You will get a good paying gig, and your family will be okay. I promise,” he replied. Anna sighed, and Kristoff pulled her in for a hug. “You should come visit me soon.”

“I doubt Hans will let me go back to Arendelle,” Anna mumbled. “He’s not even that happy about me getting a job on the stage. He’s afraid I’ll get lost in the magic of it all again, and he’ll never be able to take me back out.” 

“Maybe that’s a good thing, Anna. For you to want to stay on the stage, I mean. It’s what you truly love to do. You should be able to do what you love. And if Hans really loves you, he will support you wholeheartedly.” He rubbed her back soothingly. “By the way, I’m not in Arendelle anymore.”

“You’re not? Where did you go?” Anna asked.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that right now. But I promise, you will find out when the time is right. I’m certain we will see each other again soon. Now go. Spend time with your son.” 

Anna opened her eyes to an empty bedroom, and silently cried.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristoff takes action on Anna’s application.

~~ Kristoff’s POV ~~

Kristoff ran downstairs to find Yelana, carrying the application with him. 

She was still on stage, almost in the exact same spot that she was in when he left. She noticed him run in, and smiled with satisfaction. She knew exactly what she had done. Knew exactly what he saw that now had him running into the stage breathless. 

“How long have you known about this?” he asked, holding up Anna’s picture. 

“I just received it this morning,” Yelana answered.

“No one else has had the chance to claim her, right?”

“Well, I’m not sure about that. She does live on the other side of the world,” Yelana replied. Kristoff grimaced at the reminder, but said nothing. “But I’m sure none of the others will stand a chance against you so long as you put your name on it.” 

“I don’t want to put my name on it,” Kristoff countered. “I don’t want her to actually know it’s from me.” 

“What? Why not?” Yelana asked. 

“Because she’s still with Hans. If I send her an invite with my real name on there, he might get the wrong idea.” 

“You really think Mr. Westergaard will punish his wife because an old friend wants to help her in a time of need?” Yelana asked. 

“To tell you the truth, Yelana, I have no clue. I never really got to know him. But he did force Anna to leave Arendelle ten years ago,” Kristoff reminded her. 

“That doesn’t mean anything. I think you should put your name on it. I’m sure she will be more than thrilled to hear from you.” 

“I wish I could be as certain as you about that,” Kristoff responded. “But I’m not. Can you write the letter for me? I can tell you what to write. Your handwriting is so much better than mine anyways.” 

Yelana glared at him for a solid minute, but agreed. They walked off the stage to allow the performers to continue their rehearsals. 

“What do you want the letter to say?” Yelana asked as they sat in the auditorium seats. Kristoff thought about it for a moment. It had to be formal, but not too formal that it would turn her off. And he couldn’t start it like he did with most of his unsent letters. ‘My beloved Anna’ definitely wouldn’t fly. “You have no clue, do you?” 

“Sorry. I’m trying. It’s just... hard. I haven’t actually talked to her in a decade. How do I even start?” 

“We’re not using your real name, remember? Act like it’s just someone fresh off the streets. How would you phrase the letter?” Yelana asked. 

“Um... I guess something along the lines of ‘I have received your application, and think you would be a great fit for our cast’.” No. Not great. Perfect. She was the piece of the puzzle he had been missing this entire time. But he didn’t dare say that. He didn’t want to offend Yelana, after her loyalty and dedication to him and his work this entire time. 

“That’s a good start. Except you’re forgetting the most important part: the salutation.” 

“Okay. What about ‘Dear Anna’?” Kristoff asked.

“Nope. Too informal,” Yelana answered. “It is the most appropriate to call them Miss or Misses, with their last name. Which in this case would be-.” 

“Mrs. Westergaard,” Kristoff finished, grimacing ever so slightly at the reminder that she was married. This was such a bad idea. How would he be able to have her here with him again, knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep her because she was already married? No matter how she felt about him now, she wouldn’t break off her marriage for that. There was too much paperwork involved with that. Not to mention the fact they had a son. Custody rights would be the biggest pain for her to deal with. 

“Okay. I’ve got ‘Dear Mrs. Westergaard, I have received your application, and I believe you would be a great fit for our show,’” Yelana read. “What else would you like it to say?” 

“I don’t know. Why don’t you just add things to it, and sign it with Mister E? You helped teach her back in Arendelle, and you’re better with the words anyways,” Kristoff answered. Yelana smacked him with the notepad and paper she had. “Ow! What was that for?!” 

“Mister Bjorgman, I have been with you for many years, and I have seen how much you’ve changed since she left. I also see that smile sneak in every now and then when she’s mentioned. I may be old, but I’m not blind yet. I can see you still care deeply about her. Why would you not want to help her the best that you can right now?” 

“Regardless of her financial hardship, she’s still married. I don’t know if I can handle her being here just to leave again.” 

“What if she doesn’t leave?” Kristoff shook his head.

“Please don’t. I can’t think about that. I let myself believe that once, and then she did leave, and we haven’t talked in ten years. I can’t even start to think that again.” 

Yelana places a gentle hand on his shoulder. He froze for a moment, not used to the physical contact. 

“Listen, I don’t know the full story of what went down between you two, but regardless of what happened, you shouldn’t fear rejection from her. I can’t promise she’ll stay. I can’t promise it won’t hurt if she decides to leave again once she has enough money to support their son. But I do know that she’s probably missed being on stage as much as you’ve missed seeing her on stage. Let her have this chance again with you. Do this for her - for her happiness, if nothing else.”

Kristoff stated at Yelana for a minute, not speaking. Finally, he took a breath, and nodded.

“Okay. Let’s do it. For Anna.” 

Yelana smiled satisfactorily, and began writing again.

***

He opened his eyes to find himself back in Arendelle, near the docks. The last place he had seen Anna at before she left for good. 

“You’re so gullible, you know that?” a female voice from behind him asked. He turned around to see Anna standing about twenty feet away from him, her hair in two braids, wearing her green nightgown. His favorite nightgown of hers. Her hair and nightgown blew lightly in the wave. He smiled at the sight of her for a few moments. Anna didn’t smile back, and he remembered she asked him a question.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked. 

“It’s been ten years since we saw each other. You really think I’m just going to openly accept you back into my life?” Anna asked.

“That’s why I didn’t include my real name. It gives you a chance to choose without that clouding your decision.” 

“Okay. So I travel all the way to America, and perform for you. You really think I’m going to leave my life with my husband and son for you?” 

“I don’t expect anything. I just want to help you.” Anna laughed, but it wasn’t her pretty laugh. It was more sarcastic - disbelieving. 

“Of course. Now you want to help me. I needed your help ten years ago, but you left me alone instead. Left me with Hans, so he could whisk me away. And now, I’m hurting financially, and you think you can swoop right in to save me. You know what, Kristoff? I don’t need you or your help anymore. You’re not the only one having shows going on right now. I’m certain I can find a good job with any of them.” 

“Anna, I didn’t mean to leave you. I mean, I did, but I was going to make your breakfast extra special. You never told me he was coming first thing in the morning.” 

“I didn’t think I had to! You never left me by myself before. I felt so scared when I woke up and you weren’t here. When I searched everywhere for you, and couldn’t find you.” Tears streamed down her face, and Kristoff’s heart broke. He hated seeing her cry. Especially when it was because of something he did. 

“I never meant to hurt you,” he whispered. 

“But you did. And that’s the worst part of it all,” Anna replied. “Even if I decide I’ll accept your offer, don’t expect me to stay for long. I’m just here for the money, then I’m gone with Hans again. I can’t stay with someone who doesn’t put me and my safety first.” 

“Anna!” he shouted, but she was already fading. Kristoff ran over to her, reaching out to her, but she was completely gone. He wrapped his arms right around himself, and closed his eyes tight. 

He woke up with a start, breathing heavily. It was still dark outside. It had all been a dream. Kristoff stated up the rest of the night, thoughts racing, wondering if that’s how Anna really felt. If she did, he was totally screwed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna reads through the incoming requests.

Anna ran her fingers through her hair, tangling them halfway to try and relieve some of the stress. 

There were so many requests from directors around the world asking for her addition to their stage. She had no clue how to decide which one would be the best. She never had to do this before. There was never any need for a choice before. 

She let go of her hair and rubbed her neck. The tips of her fingers touched the necklace, and she breathed in sharply. 

She had been wearing it for so long, she sometimes forgot she was wearing it, let alone all the memories connected to it. She turned one of the pearls between her fingers. Things were just so much easier with him. But he wasn’t here, and she hadn’t seen his name in any of these requests. 

After looking through the different requests for half an hour, she decided to take a break to clear her head. She had been sitting in the entertainment room this entire time to make sure she had the privacy she needed for these decisions, so she didn’t have to go far to play on the piano. 

Her hands instinctively started playing Fur Elise. It was one of the easiest songs to play (that wasn’t the most basic thing). She also felt the strongest connection to Kristoff when she played it. She had no clue why that was, though. She figured it was because he played it a time or two while she lived with him, but she couldn’t remember those times at all. 

She played the song fully through a couple of times, before letting her fingers play random notes. They found a melody that sounded perfect to Anna. It was slower than Fur Elise, with a few note changes, but still fairly similar. 

Lyrics flooded her thoughts. She had no idea when or how she had become so good at composing her own music. Maybe it was from all the years of silence and loneliness. She didn’t mind, though. She loved playing and making up lyrics as she went. 

“Wandering child. I’m lost and helpless, yearning for your guidance,” she began, her voice quiet so no one else could hear if they were walking by. 

“Too long I’ve wandered in winter, waiting for you to appear. Wildly my mind beats against you, yet my soul obeys. Angel of Music, I denied you, and turned from true beauty. Angel of Music, my protector. Come back to me, my sweet angel.” 

“Mama?” 

Anna spun around to see Ronen standing in the doorway, looking at her curiously. 

“Who were you singing about?” he asked.

“No one, darling. I was just singing random things,” Anna replied. “Did you need something?” 

“No. I just wanted to see how you were doing,” he replied. “I haven’t seen you since breakfast.” 

This boy was too good for the world. She was really thankful Hans hadn’t affected his innocence yet. She extended her arms in his direction and gestured for him to come join her. He obeyed, and sat on the bench next to her. Anna pulled him close in a hug and kissed the top of his head. 

“I’m sorry. I’ve just been busy reading through all of these requests,” Anna replied, showing him some of the papers. 

“Are there any good ones?” Ronen asked, gently taking one out of Anna’s hands. “‘Mr. Thompson. Lives in Weselton. Offering a role as a ballerina.’ Can you do ballet?”

“I could ten years ago. I haven’t been practicing since I married your father, though, so I’m not entirely sure,” Anna admitted. 

“Have you missed being on the stage?” Ronen asked. 

“Yes. I mean, it always required a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun. And I love singing for others.”

“Why don’t you sing as much now?” he inquired innocently. Anna shrugged.

“There’s not as much of a need to right now. It’s more just for my own pleasure, which is why I keep it inside this room, other than when I sing you lullabies.” 

“I like it when you sing to me at night,” Ronen commented. “Can you sing to me tonight?”

“Of course. Anything for you, darling,” Anna replied, kissing his forehead. A knock sounded at the door, and they both turned. 

“Anna! Another letter for you!” Ingrid, one of her sisters-in-law, called. Anna stood up and walked over to open the door. 

“Thank you, Ingrid,” Anna replied, taking the envelope. 

“You’re welcome. Will you be joining us for lunch soon?” Ingrid asked. Anna looked at the clock to see it was almost one in the afternoon.

“Yes. I will be down in just a bit, after I look at this letter,” Anna responded. Ingrid nodded, and then walked downstairs. Anna closed the door and rejoined her son on the bench. 

“Who is this one from?” Ronen inquired, trying to look at the envelope. 

“I’m not sure. There’s no name on the return address,” Anna replied. She flipped it over, started tearing it open, and pulled out the letter. 

The writing was vaguely familiar, but Anna couldn’t pinpoint where she saw it before. She skimmed through the letter. This one was asking her to join a new stage production - “the greatest show America has ever seen”. “We have positions for singers and dancers - or both, if that’s what you would prefer,” it read. 

“‘Sincerely, Mister E,’” Ronen read aloud. “That sounds like mystery. I love mysteries!” 

Anna smiled. “They can be a lot of fun,” she agreed. She wondered why this Mister E didn’t put his full last name on the letter. That was usually the more formal way to do things. 

“Mama? What’s wrong?” Ronen asked after watching her stare blankly at the paper.

“Nothing, darling. I’m just thinking. Adding it to the list of other requests, and trying to compare them all,” Anna answered. “This one is more along the lines of the things I loved to do before I married your father.” 

“Then why don’t we just go with that one?” Ronen asked. Anna chuckled. 

“It’s not that easy. This is a big decision, and it’s on the other side of the world, in America. That’s a really long trip,” Anna replied. “Do you think you could be away from your cousins, aunts, and uncles for a long period of time?”

“Sure. I really don’t spend that much time with them anyways,” Ronen replied with a shrug. “I think it would be great to go on another boat trip.”

“Okay. Well, we’ll see what else comes around. For now, let’s go get some food to eat.” Anna stood up and extended her hand, which Ronen gladly took, and they walked downstairs to the dining room together. 

****

Anna didn’t look at the mysterious letter from Mister E the rest of the day, focusing on the other letters to compare what they could offer her. Mister E’s did seem to be the most promising, with a role that was right up her alley. She just wasn’t sure if she should risk it. It was a long trip to America. Long trips always costed more money. It had to be a big gig. They would end up losing more money if she went all the way to America for one show, only to return back to the Southern Isles immediately after.

At least Weselton was close by, so if she went there and it didn’t work out, there wasn’t as much of a risk. 

She wished there had been a letter from Arendelle. It would make her decision so much easier. 

_I’m not in Arendelle anymore._

That had just been a dream. But did the dream carry some truth to it? If so, where was he at now? 

She was being silly. Of course he was still in Arendelle. Why would he ever leave his hometown? Besides, even if she did receive a request from Arendelle, she doubted Hans would ever let her go back there. He worked so hard to get her out of there. There’s no way he would willingly take her back. She had been stupid to believe he ever would. 

“Mama?” Ronen’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Right. She was supposed to be putting him to bed. 

“Sorry, darling. I was just thinking about those letters again,” Anna admitted. 

“It’s okay. Have you decided on any yet?” he asked as Anna pulled the blanket up to cover him. 

“Not yet. I’m hoping to respond to a few of them tomorrow, though,” Anna replied. 

“Will Mister E’s be one of them?” Ronen inquired. 

“I don’t know. Possibly,” Anna answered. 

“I would love to visit America,” Ronen stated. “And this Mister E guy seems kind of cool.” 

“How can you tell?” Anna asked as she fixed his pillow. 

“He didn’t give you his full name. It’s like a mystery. And mysteries are really cool,” Ronen reminded her. 

“Yes, reading about mysteries can be cool and fun. It’s a whole different story in real life, though. But I’ll consider it for you, okay?”

“Okay,” Ronen replied, yawning. Anna smoothed his hair down and gave him a kiss on the forehead. 

“I love you,” she whispered. 

“I love you, too,” Ronen whispered back. Anna moved to walk away, but Ronen stopped her. “Wait, I thought you were going to sing me a song tonight?” 

“Oh. That’s right,” Anna said, and sat down in the chair next to his bed. “Do you have a song in mind?” 

“No. I’m okay with anything. Maybe something new,” he answered. Anna thought about that for a moment. What song did she know that she didn’t sing for him yet? 

Well, there was one song. She had never sung it before, but it had been sung to her many times before. She was sure she could sing it for Ronen now. 

“Night time sharpens, and heightens each sensation,” she began. “Darkness stirs and wakes imagination. Silently, the senses abandon their defenses. Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor. Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away from the garish light of day. Turn your thoughts from cold, unfeeling light and listen to the music of the night.”

She sang through the rest of the song, watching as Ronen smiled at the beginning, and then slowly let his eyes flutter closed. Anna stood up from the chair and kneeled next to his sleeping body as she sang the last few lyrics. 

“You alone can make my song take flight. Help me make the music of the night.” She kissed the top of his head again. “Sleep well, my little Ronen.” 

She quietly walked out of his room and up the stairs to her own bedroom. Hans had left early that morning, and was still not home when she made it to her room. She didn’t know where he went, and by this point, she didn’t really care, so long as he wasn’t throwing away more money. 

He had left with one of his other brothers, though, so Anna doubted that would happen.

She changed into her favorite green nightgown and crawled into bed, letting the words of the song she just sang to Ronen lull her to sleep as well.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristoff receives a response from Anna.

~~ Kristoff’s POV ~~

The week after Kristoff received Anna’s application was rough. He couldn’t stop wondering how she would react if they saw each other again. His dreams were filled with the worst scenarios, so he didn’t get much sleep. 

He tried not to get his hopes up. There was no guarantee Anna would even choose to join his production again. She was extremely talented, and he was sure she was getting many requests from all over the world.

Still, whenever Yelana came in with the mail for the day, Kristoff couldn’t help but feel a little anxious, hoping to see a response from Anna. 

He had framed the picture of her immediately after he finished writing the letter with Yelana.   
It stayed by his bedside, so he could look at it whenever he wanted. 

Despite the ten year gap, she hadn’t changed much in physical appearance. Her hair was up in a bun, and her dress was a bit more formal than anything Kristoff had bought her, but that was about it. 

He traced his finger over the pearl necklace she was wearing. The necklace he had given her before one of her performances years ago. He couldn’t believe she had actually kept that all this time. 

He studied her facial expression as well. She was smiling like always, but as Kristoff looked at the picture more, he realized it was a different kind of smile. It didn’t reach her eyes like it used to. It was a forced smile - put on to try and look more pleasing to others, but she wasn’t truly happy in that moment. He briefly wondered how long she had been unhappy, but shook that thought away. It was probably just because of her financial crisis. There was no way she was unhappy being with Hans this entire time.

A knock sounded at the door that startled him out of his thoughts. He gently set the picture back on his nightstand, put on his mask, and opened the door.

“Good afternoon, Mister Bjorgman,” Elsa greeted, curtsying. “Sorry to bother you when you are in your bedroom-.”

“It’s fine,” Kristoff cut her off, waving his hand. “And you don’t have to curtsy every time you see me. I think we’re long past that.” Elsa smiled. “What did you need?” 

“Oh, I didn’t need anything. But a letter just arrived for you. From Mrs. Westergaard,” the assistant dance director answered, handing him the envelope. Kristoff hesitated for a moment, just staring at it, unable to move. She had written back to him. That was a step in the right direction... right? 

“Sir? Is there a problem?” Elsa asked. Kristoff blinked and shook his head. 

“No, there’s no problem. I just... wasn’t expecting the letter,” Kristoff admitted. Elsa gave him a sympathetic smile. 

“I know. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from her, too. Hopefully you’re able to convince her to come here. I would love to see her again,” she replied. Kristoff’s lips turned up in a small smile as he stared at the written name staring back at him. “I’ll leave you alone now. Just let us know if you need any help.” 

“Elsa!” Kristoff called before she got too far away. Elsa turned around to face him. “Thank you.” Elsa smiled, nodded her head, and walked away. Kristoff closed the door and opened the envelope. 

_Dear Mister E,_ it began. _I have received your request, and am interested in your position. I spent three years in Arendelle doing both singing and dancing roles. I have the skills, and am open to whatever role you have for me. There is one question I have: How much are you willing to pay for my participation?_

“Anything you and your boy need,” Kristoff replied aloud, even though no one could hear him. “And even beyond that so you can get things you want as well. Anything for you, Anna.” He continued reading the letter. 

_I know that may seem selfish of me, and it may sound like I’m only in it for the money. I mean, I am, but it’s not the only reason why I want to get back on the stage. I’ve been away from it for a decade, and would really like to start again. But I want to make sure that we’ll still be okay financially after all the expenses to get to and from America at the end of it all. That is, if it ends. I realize I’m rambling again, but I hope that all makes sense. I hope to hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,  
Anna Westergaard_

Kristoff chuckled at her rambling sentences. At least she hadn’t lost that part of herself. He loved it when she would ramble like that. 

He ran his fingers over her written name again. He had missed seeing her handwriting. He folded it back up, put it in his pocket, and walked downstairs to find Yelana so they could write the response to Anna. 

***

It was two weeks before Kristoff received another letter from Anna. He was actually anxious about this one. Two weeks of silence was a long time. That meant she had made a decision. While a big part of him believed it was an acceptance letter, there was also the chance that she was just writing back to all of the people she got requests from to thank them for their time, and politely decline. 

He slowly opened the wrap, and pulled out the piece of paper. This single piece of paper could either make this one of the happiest days of his life, or one of the worst days of his life as it led to more heartache and agony. He took a deep breath, and unfolded the paper. 

_Dear Mister E,_

_Thank you for the offer. It has been a long few weeks, reading through the different offers, and making a final decision. I have made that final decision._

_I have decided to accept your offer. We will set sail by the end of the week, and will be there by the end of the following week. I look forward to starting business with you._

Kristoff couldn’t hold back the tears as he read the lat few sentences. After ten long years, he was finally going to see Anna again. He pinched himself, and let out a sigh of relief when nothing changed. It wasn’t a dream. This was real. Anna was coming back to his stage! 

He looked down at the paper again, and saw something that was added after her signature. 

_P.S. My son is excited to meet you. He helped me make the ultimate choice. I hope we both made the right choice._

“You did, Anna. I promise I won’t let you down,” Kristoff said. ”And I look forward to meeting your son as well. Have a safe trip. I’ll see you real soon.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna starts packing for their trip to America.

Anna was in Ronen’s room, folding his clothes and putting them in the suitcase. She realized as she was going through the clothes that there were a lot of things she had kept from his younger years that he didn’t fit into anymore. Where had the time gone? 

“Mama? What are you doing?” Ronen asked as he walked into the room. 

“I’m just working on packing for the trip,” Anna replied, putting another shirt in the suitcase. 

“Can I help?” Ronen asked, grabbing a pair of his pants. 

“Sure. I would love the help,” Anna answered. Ronen smiled and immediately started folding the clothes. Anna was thankful for having such a great little helper. 

They spent a few minutes folding in silence. But there was something pressing in the back of Anna’s mind that she felt she had to talk to Ronen about. 

“Ronen, darling, can we talk for a moment?” Anna asked, lightly grabbing his arm. Ronen stopped what he was doing, sat down on the bed, and nodded. “I just want to make sure you’re still okay with all of this. I mean, I have to work no matter what, but we don’t have to go to the other side of the world for work if you don’t want to go too far from home.” 

“It’s fine, Mama. I want to see America. And it’s not like I haven’t been on a long boat trip before,” Ronen reminded her. 

“I know. It’s just been awhile since we went very far from home. I just want to make sure you’re happy,” Anna stated. No matter how unhappy she was in her marriage, and in life in general, she would always make sure Ronen was happy, no matter the cost. 

“I’ll be fine, Mama. I promise,” Ronen replied with a grin. Anna smiled back at him. He always was easy going. 

“Okay. But if you ever want to leave America and come back here, just say the word, and we will come back as quickly as we can. I may have to finish the show, but we can leave immediately after,” Anna said. “You just say the word, okay? And we’ll head back as soon as we can afford to.” 

“Okay. That sounds great,” Ronen said. Anna smiled, pulled him close, and kissed the top of his head. 

“I love you so much,” she whispered. 

“I love you, too, Mama,” Ronen replied. They hugged for a solid minute before getting back to packing. 

***

Anna left a few outfits in the closet for Ronen to alternate between in the next week and a half, but everything else was packed in his room. It was strange to see the room so empty after so many years. She wondered how empty her own room would look after she packed up everything. 

Ronen had helped her pack almost everything, only leaving for mealtimes. His cousins begged him to play with them after dinner, and Anna let him go play. 

“I can handle packing the last few items. Go enjoy the time you have left with your cousins.” 

It was getting close to his bedtime now, though. She zipped up the suitcase, set it in the back corner, and walked downstairs to the play room. 

“Ronen?” she called as she opened the door. Some of her nieces and nephews saw her first, and ran up to her. “Hello! How are you guys doing?” 

“Fine!” Lisa answered. She was Henrik and Ingrid’s youngest daughter. A redhead just like her father and uncles. 

“Aunt Anna! Can you play with us?” Henry, Fredrik’s oldest son, asked. 

“Oh, I would love to, Henry, but I need to get Ronen to bed,” she answered. She scanned the room, but didn’t see her son in the mix. “Where is he?” 

“He’s playing hide and seek with the others. No one knows where he’s hiding, though,” Henry replied. “I think he left the room.” 

“Can you help us find him?” Lisa asked. Anna looked down at her niece, who was pulling on her arm. She giggled. These kids were so sweet sometimes. And she couldn’t say no to those green puppy eyes staring at her. 

“Yes, of course I can help you,” she replied. Lisa jumped up in excitement, and then ran out of the room. Anna smiled and followed her youngest niece. She had to admit, she would miss seeing these little rascals running around every day. 

They walked down the main hall, checking every room for any sign of Ronen. 

“Is there a common area where he hides during these games?” Anna asked.

“No. He usually stays in the playroom,” Lisa replied. 

“Okay. Let’s just keep looking,” Anna said. They opened up another door, and Anna heard something coming from upstairs. “Lisa? Do you hear that?” 

“It sounds like music,” Lisa answered. Anna smirked. 

“I think we just found Ronen. Come on.” Anna grabbed her niece’s hand, and they ran upstairs. Anna stopped abruptly when they were a few feet away from the entertainment room. 

“Wha-?” Lisa began, but Anna quickly covered her mouth.

“We’re playing hide and seek, remember? We can’t let him know we’re here,” Anna whispered. Lisa’s eyes widened in understanding, and she nodded. “I’m going to open this door very slowly and quietly. I need you to be as quiet as possible, sneak up to him, and then give him the biggest hug you’ve ever given him. Can you do that?” Lisa nodded. Anna removed her hand from the young girl’s mouth, and saw a beaming smile on Lisa’s face. Anna put a finger to her lips to remind Lisa they needed to be quiet. Lisa nodded in understanding. Anna grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it, pushing the door open at a slow pace. 

Just as she expected, Ronen was sitting on the bench, playing the piano. Completely oblivious to what was going on around him. Anna stayed in the hallway while Lisa tiptoed into the room, and as she listened to the notes Ronen was playing, she realized she had heard that song before. Before she could remember exactly where she heard it, though, Lisa had jumped on Ronen’s back, making him hit some random notes and end the song.

“I found you!” Lisa exclaimed. 

“You also ruined my song! You’ll pay for that one!” Ronen replied, grabbing Lisa’s arm and pulling her onto the bench so he could tickle her. Lisa shrieked and laughed, kicking her legs around. 

“Stop! Rony, stop!” Lisa shouted. Ronen obeyed, releasing her from his hold. “Come on! It’s your turn as the seeker!” 

“Actually, it’s time for bed,” Anna reminded them, finally walking into the room. Ronen turned around and grinned. 

“Hi, Mama!” he greeted, standing up from the bench and running over to hug her. Anna returned the embrace.

“Hello, darling. Did you have fun playing with your cousins?” she asked. 

“Yes,” he responded simply. 

“What song were you playing a moment ago?” Anna asked, looking back over to the piano. 

“Oh. It was just something I found. I don’t know who wrote it, though,” Ronen replied. 

“Well, it sounded really good from what I heard,” Anna complimented. “But it really is time for bed, for both of you. Let’s go.” 

Anna grabbed one of Ronen’s hands, and Lisa ran up to grab her other one. Anna smiled as she led both children to their bedrooms. 

Ingrid met Anna halfway and took over putting Lisa to bed, giving Anna more time to spend with Ronen as they walked into his bedroom. 

“When do we leave?” Ronen asked. 

“In two days. So you’ll have one more full day with the others, and then we’ll be out to sea again,” Anna replied as Ronen climbed into bed. 

“I can’t wait to leave! It will be so great to see something other than this place again,” he said. 

“Aren’t you going to miss being here, though?” Anna asked as she pulled up the blanket over him. 

“Maybe a little. I’ll especially miss playing the piano every day,” Ronen said. Anna smiled. 

“I know. It’s been great having that around here for us to use,” she replied. “But maybe we’ll be able to sneak in a little piano time at the theatre. They always have a piano there.” 

“That would be really nice,” Ronen said, following it with a yawn. Anna ran her fingers through his hair, and kissed his forehead. 

“Sleep well, little one. I’ll see you in the morning,” she whispered. “Good night.” 

“Good night,” Ronen mumbled as he drifted to sleep. Anna stood next to him, watching him sleep for a few moments. He looked so peaceful, like there wasn’t a single problem in the world. Anna remembered when she had that innocence. She wished she could go back to that blissful time. She knew she couldn’t, though. It was just part of life, to grow up and realize not everything is always perfect. 

She walked out of the room, quietly closing the door, and walked back to the entertainment room. She needed to know what that song was that he was playing. It was driving her crazy not being able to fully recall what it was. 

She picked up the sheet music and gasped as she read the title. It was “Think of Me” - the first solo she ever sang. She didn’t even realize they had this. It certainly wasn’t from her belongings. She had accidentally left all of her music in Kristoff’s room back in Arendelle. That meant Hans had somehow received a copy and kept it for some reason.

She began singing the lyrics softly. 

“Think of me. Think of me fondly when we’ve said goodbye. Think of me every so often. Promise me you’ll try.” 

She continued singing the lyrics as different memories flooded her thoughts. At first, the memories were just of her receiving this role and singing this all the way through for the first time. 

Her thoughts shifted as she sang the third verse. 

“Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me trying too hard to put you from my mind. Think of me. Please say you’ll think of me. Whatever it is you choose to do, there will never be a day when I won’t think of you.” 

A few stray tears trailed down her cheeks. She really couldn’t stop thinking about him. No matter how hard she tried, he was always there. Her heart ached from missing him, but it also sometimes brought a smile to her face when she thought of him, remembering some of their better moments together. 

“That was always one of my favorite performances that you did,” a voice said from behind her. Anna turned around to see Hans standing in the doorway, arms crossed, while smiling at her. It had been awhile since she saw that smile, and she couldn’t help but smile back. 

“I didn’t realize you kept this,” Anna replied, holding the sheet music close to her chest. 

“It was the only sheet music I ever received during the time that you were performing in Arendelle. And it was really the thing that brought us back together, so I kept it as a memoir of sorts.” He walked closer to her, until he was hugging her. Anna leaned her head against his chest. He wasn’t Kristoff, but he was her husband, and she did love him, and found some comfort in his embraces as well. “Are you ready for the rigorous work awaiting you when we go to America?” 

“Yes, I think so. It’s been awhile since I’ve done it, but I’m sure it will be fine,” Anna answered. 

“Is everything packed?” Hans asked. 

“Everything for Ronen is packed. I just need to finish packing our stuff tomorrow, and then we’ll be ready to go,” Anna replied. 

“Okay. Good. If it’s okay, I think my brothers and I are going to go out and play some golf one last time tomorrow,” Hans said. 

“You’re not going to help pack?” Anna asked. 

“Do you actually need my help with that?” Hans asked. “Our room is kind of small for both of us to try and pack at the same time.”

He did have a point there. They just got a guest bedroom, like Ronen did, so there wasn’t a lot of extra room to have multiple people walking around in there. 

“Okay. Thanks for letting me know. I’m sure you and your brothers will have a great time,” Anna replied. 

“But for now, it’s getting really late, and I think it’s about time you and I get to bed. What do you think?” 

“That would be great,” Anna replied. It had been awhile since they slept in the same room together. She missed having the extra warmth, especially as fall was turning to winter, and it was getting colder every night. 

Hans smiled, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and walked with her back to their bedroom.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and her family leave the Southern Isles, heading to America.

“Ronen?” Anna called, shaking his shoulder. “Ronen, darling, it’s time to wake up.” 

Ronen slowly opened his eyes, and looked around the dark room. The sun wasn’t even showing its light yet, and Anna knew it was throwing him off. 

“What time is it?” he asked, his voice raspy.

“About 4 am. I know, you’ve never been up this early, and I’m sorry to wake you so early. But our ship leaves at dawn, and it’s a long ride to the docks. You can sleep as soon as we get on the boat,” she explained. Ronen simply nodded as he inched up to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and yawning. “Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat before we leave?” Ronen shook his head. “Okay. Just be downstairs in five minutes, and we’ll head out.” He nodded, and Anna walked out of the bedroom, nearly running into her husband. 

“Is he awake?” Hans asked, gesturing to the door. 

“Yes. We’re just about ready. I just need to grab all of the bags. Could you help me?” Anna requested. Hans reluctantly agreed, following Anna back to their bedroom. 

There were three overnight bags for their time on the ship, and three suitcases with the rest of their stuff. Hans grabbed his overnight bag and suitcase, and walked out of the bedroom. Anna bit her tongue, not wanting to say anything that may upset him and sour their trip. Thankfully the overnight bags had straps so she could carry them on her shoulders while she pulled the suitcases behind her. 

Ronen walked out of his room as Anna was walking down the hallway. 

“Are you ready to go to America?” Anna asked. Despite the tired look in his eyes, Ronen as able to smile and nod. “Alright. Let’s go.” 

Without another word, they all walked out of the house and got in the carriage, embarking on a new life-changing journey. 

***

Hans and Ronen went to bed as soon as the ship left port. Anna had followed her husband into the bed, but she couldn’t fall asleep, even with hearing his soft snores. Her mind was racing with everything that might happen once they arrive in America. 

After laying in bed for half an hour with no signs of tiredness, she rolled out of bed, pulled her mother’s scarf out of her overnight bag, and walked up to the deck. 

She forgot how close the Southern Isles was to Arendelle, as she saw the faint outline of it in the distance. Her heart ached when she saw it. So many sad, beautiful, and tragic memories from that place. She wished they could make a quick stop there, just for her to walk through the town, and visit her parents’ cemetery. And maybe some other things. 

She knew they couldn’t, though. Mister E was waiting for her to arrive as soon as possible for his new show. There was no time for side trips. There was never any time for side trips. 

_Why do you want to go back?_ a voice in her head asked. _Remember, he’s the one who left you._

_I’m sure there was a good reason,_ she countered with herself. 

_Regardless of the reason, he left you. He wasn’t there to help you stay. And in the last ten years, he hasn’t once tried to find you. Face it: he doesn’t love you anymore._

“Don’t say that!” Anna shouted. She clutched the railing of the ship, squeezed her eyes shut, and took a few deep breaths. She refused to believe anything negative like that, and she certainly wasn’t going to cry about the possible truth of those words. 

“Mama? Is everything okay?” 

Anna spun around to see Ronen standing just a few yards away. 

“Yeah. I’m okay. Just some... bad memories,” Anna said. Ronen walked closer to her. “I’m surprised you’re awake already. You seemed really tired when we got on the ship.” 

“It’s been awhile since we’ve been on a boat. I’m not used to it rocking anymore,” Ronen admitted. 

“Well, I’m glad you’re awake. There’s something I wanted you to see.” She grabbed Ronen’s hand and led him to the ship railing. “You see that land over there?” she asked, pointing over to the city that was now a bit more visible as the sun continued rising. Ronen nodded. “That’s my hometown. That’s where your father and I grew up.”

“I thought Papa grew up in the Southern Isles?” Ronen asked. 

“Well, he did. But he also visited my family a lot when I was younger, so it was kind of like his second home,” Anna explained. “I don’t think he would ever admit it, though.” She saw a familiar building, and pointed it out to Ronen. “You see that building over there?”

“Yes.”

“That’s where I got my start as an actress. It’s where your father found me,” Anna stated. 

“Why haven’t we ever visited there?” Ronen asked. 

“You know, I’m not really sure,” Anna admitted. “That would be a question for your father.” 

“Do you miss being there?” Ronen asked. 

“More than anything. But it gets a bit easier every day we’re away, and I’m not reminded of it.” She looked at the city one last time, and then turned around. “Come on. Let’s go find something to eat for breakfast.” 

Ronen grinned and grabbed his mother’s hand as they walked below deck to find the kitchen, not looking back at what was across the ocean

***

The rest of the boat trip was relatively uneventful. There was nothing else interesting to see. Anna and Ronen spent a lot of time playing games and singing some songs. Hans would occasionally play games with them, but he mostly disappeared, never showing his face except at meals. 

The morning of their arrival to America, Anna spent a decent time trying to figure out what to wear. She finally decided to wear a silk purple dress Hans had bought her during their world trip.

“Who are you trying so hard to impress?” Hans asked. 

“No one... And everyone,” Anna admitted. “I don’t know. This is just going to be our first time in America, and I’m sure everyone has heard the news about me coming by now. If they take any pictures, I want to make sure I look decent.” She twisted her braid up into a bun, trying to make it as perfect as possible, and pinned it in position. “Can you go make sure Ronen is ready?” 

“When will that child learn to do things on his own?” Hans grumbled. Anna spun around. 

“I didn’t say to help him get ready. I said make sure he’s ready because we’re docking in about five minutes,” Anna retorted. 

“I don’t see much of a difference there,” Hans countered. 

“What’s the matter with you? Why are you so grumpy right now?” Anna asked. 

“I’m not,” Hans retorted. “I just don’t know why the boy needs babied. I think you’re giving him too much attention.” 

“And you’re not giving him enough!” Anna shouted back. Hans froze at that. “Even while we were all stuck on this ship. You played a couple of games with us, sure. But you weren’t there that often. Tell me, what’s more important than spending time with your wife and your son?” No answer. “Hans? Are you listening?” 

Hans was silent for a few more moments, before saying “I’m going to check on Ronen” and walking out of the room, closing the door behind him. 

Anna was frozen for a few moments. She couldn’t believe he didn’t even bother to answer her. What had happened between the two of them? They used to be able to share almost everything with each other. 

Anna shook it away. The ship was almost to the docks. She needed to finish getting ready. 

She slipped on a pair of silver flats, checked her hair and outfit once last time, and grabbed the four bags in their room as she walked out. 

There was a large crowd waiting for them as they reached the docks. Anna didn’t recognize anyone, and she couldn’t understand why there was such a big crowd. Anna chanced a side glance at Hans. He looked angry, but thankfully he wasn’t actually saying anything negative yet. 

“We’re going to make this as quick as possible. Try to just walk through the crowd with little communication so we can get to our destination,” Hans instructed. Anna and Ronen both nodded. Once the ramp made contact with the boat, they walked off. Hans took the lead, with Ronen behind him, and Anna in the back. 

The crowd started cheering as they all made it onto solid ground. Anna could hear multiple people calling her name at once, but she couldn’t see who exactly was calling her with the buzz of the other voices. 

A flash of a camera caught her by surprise. She turned in the direction that the flash came from, and another flash blinded her momentarily. 

“Enough! No more pictures of anyone!” Hans shouted, stepping in front of Anna and pushing her away. “Especially no pictures of the boy! Do you hear me?” The camera man nodded, and lowered his camera. 

“Anna, what made you decide to come to America?” one man asked. 

“Was New York always your first choice?” a woman asked. Before Anna could respond, more questions filled the air, until they became incomprehensible. One question stood out among all the others.

“How do you get someone like the Amazing Anna to New York? Is it the money?”

“Of course it’s the money!” one lady shouted. “Why else does anyone do anything?” 

“That’s not true!” Anna said. But it was true. They were here for the money. She absolutely hated that admission. 

“You’re not here for the money? Then why did you only look at a new career _after_ your husband threw away all of his money?” one person asked. 

“My wife is an artist!” Hans shouted. “She is here to do what she wants to do, and that should be enough for all of you to understand.” 

The crowd went silent for a few moments after Hans’ explosion. Hans grabbed Anna’s arm a little too roughly and started pulling her out of the crowd. Anna turned to call for Ronen, but stopped when she saw some people walking towards him. Anna stopped in her tracks, which made Hans stop as well. 

“Little boy, what’s your name?” the woman who had asked about Anna’s first choice asked, kneeling down so she was at Ronen’s height. 

“Ronen,” he declared. 

“Ronen, is this your first time in America? What do you want to do first?” the woman continued asking. 

“I’m just here to support my mother with her new career,” Ronen admitted. Anna smiled. He always was supportive. “But I would love to do some sight seeing as well.” 

Anna didn’t realize Hans had let go of her arm until he was standing by Ronen. 

“That’s enough questions for today. Come on, Ronen. Let’s go,” Hans said, grabbing his son’s hand and leading him back to Anna. 

The taxi driver grabbed all of their baggage and put it in the trunk. Anna climbed in first, followed by Ronen, and then Hans on the other end. 

“That was so weird. It was like being with our family, but louder. I didn’t even know that was possible,” Ronen stated as they began driving to their destination. Anna laughed. 

“Yeah. I honestly wasn’t expecting that,” she admitted, running her hand over his hair to smooth it down a little. “I figured we would just have a quiet exit off the boat and into the car.” 

“You are more popular than you may think, Mrs. Westergaard,” the cab driver said. “You may not recognize some of us, but we remember you from your performances in Arendelle. You were absolutely stunning, and we were devastated to see you go.” 

“Wow. I didn’t think anyone outside of my fellow cast members would miss me,” Anna admitted. 

“You doubt yourself, my dear,” the cab driver said. “Mister E is also very excited to see you again.”

“See me... again?” Anna repeated. “How does he know who I am? I’ve never heard of him.” 

“But he knows you. Or, at least, he claims to. Says he never missed one of your performances,” the cab driver answered. 

Hans groaned. “That wasn’t hard. She was only in three major performances, and they were all within a year. I even caught all of her performances.” 

“You were also our patron,” Anna reminded him. “And we were dating - and eventually engaged - during that time. That’s a lot different than some random audience member.” 

“Whatever,” he grumbled. “Just remember not to get distracted by all those shiny lights again.” 

Everyone went silent after that, and no one spoke another word the rest of the ride.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and her family arrive at their new place.

The cab driver broke the silence when he parked in front of a house. 

“This is going to be your place for the time being,” he announced. “Mister E figured it would be more suitable for all of you to be in a house rather than a hotel room, and it’s only a two minute walk from the theater.” 

“Where’s the theater at?” Anna asked, trying to duck low enough to see it. 

“I’ll show you when we get out of the car. It will be easier that way,” he stated. The four of them all climbed out of the car. “Over here, Mrs. Westergaard.” 

Anna walked over to where the driver was standing. When she turned to look at what he was looking at, she gasped. The building was huge, and even though it was just the backside, it looked absolutely stunning. It was right behind their house, and was truly just a hop, skip, and a jump away. 

“Oh, if you think that’s beautiful, wait until you see the inside of it. Absolutely stunning. It almost made me cry the first time I walked in there,” the driver admitted. “I can’t imagine what it must be for a performer to walk on that marvelous stage. And even for you, who if I heard correctly, hasn’t set foot on a stage in ten years.” 

Anna just nodded, too stunned for words. It was so close. She could almost feel it. And it felt like home. 

She wondered how the actual experience of it would feel. 

“Anna! What are you doing? We need to get inside and get settled!” Hans shouted, breaking the moment. 

“Oh, right,” she said. “Sorry.” She walked towards the back of the cab to grab her things, but the driver stopped her. 

“I’ve got it.”

“I can handle a few bags,” Anna argued. 

“I know. I saw you carrying four bags while getting off that ship. Let me carry these in. Not only is it part of my job, but I also want to just help you,” he said. 

“Thank you....” Anna realized she didn’t know this man’s name. 

“Daniel,” he finished for her with a smile.

“Thank you, Daniel,” Anna said, smiling back. They walked together towards the house. Daniel really was a nice guy. He was much older than her - probably old enough to be her father. Anna didn’t mind, though. It was great to talk to someone who was clearly very happy with their life. “So, how long have you been working for Mister E?” 

“Well, it hasn’t been a direct employment with him. Just whenever he needs a cab driver. I was actually able to take him to some places last week, and that’s when he mentioned seeing your performances before. And he asked if I would be kind enough to pick you up from the docks. Of course, I accepted immediately. It truly is great to have you around again, Madame.” 

“Oh, stop it. I’m not that special,” Anna said, blushing from his kind words. 

“Sure you are. Many of us can see that. I think you’ve just been away from it too long. You’ve forgotten how amazing of a performer you are. I hope, once you get back on that stage, you’ll be reminded of that. You really should be proud of yourself.”

“Thank you, Daniel,” Anna said as she opened the door. Daniel walked in first, with Anna close behind. She stopped after only taking a step past the threshold, though, awestruck at what she saw in the house. 

The carpet was ocean blue with gold patterns throughout. There was a chandelier high above, and railings from one end of the building to the other. They were meant to protect those on the upper floor from falling, but they were so intricately designed, that they just flowed with the rest of the house. 

Daniel’s chuckle broke her from her trance. 

“It truly is a sight to behold, isn’t it? Nothing but the best for our dear Mrs. Westergaard and her family,” he said. “As much as I would love to stay and visit, though, I do have to go and help more people get from Point A to Point B.” They both laughed. “Before I go, I do have one thing for you. I will be right back.” 

He ran out of the door to the cab. Anna took a few steps into the house so she wasn’t in the doorway anymore. It truly was beautiful. Whoever secured this place for them must have paid a fortune for it. Was that Mister E? Had he really done all of this for them, just because she accepted his offer out of the thousands of offers she received? 

Daniel cleared his throat, and Anna turned around. 

“Mister E had some welcoming gifts for all of you. He says yours and your husband’s are up in the master bedroom, but he asked me to give this one to you personally. This is for your little boy,” he said, handing her a gift box. 

“Oh. Thank you,” Anna said. “I’ll make sure he gets this right away.” Daniel smiled, bowed, and then left the house with a final goodbye. Anna waved as he closed the door behind him. 

“Mama! Come see this room!” Ronen exclaimed. Anna turned around to see him standing a few doors down with a giant grin on his face. Anna ran over to him to see what he was so excited about. She saw the exciting thing almost instantly. 

“There’s a piano here!” he exclaimed. “So you and I can still have our piano lessons while we’re here.” Anna laughed. 

“That’s great!” she said. “By the way, here’s a gift from Mister E.” 

“A gift? I knew he was the right choice!” Ronen shouted as he grabbed the gift box from Anna’s hands.

“Anna! Where’s my suitcase?!” Hans shouted from upstairs. Anna ran out of the room so she was in his view. 

“It’s down here with the rest of our bags, darling!” she shouted back. Hans grumbled something as he walked down the stairs back to the main entrance. Anna noticed as he walked down the stairs he was carrying a drinking glass in one of his hands. 

“Where did you get that?” she asked. 

“Oh, there’s a whole bottle of whiskey in our bedroom. I just poured myself a glass,” Hans replied. 

“I thought you were quitting drinking alcohol?” Anna asked in a hushed voice as she walked closer to her husband. She didn’t want Ronen to hear them. 

“Oh, my sweet Anna. That was just wishful thinking on your part. I never truly planned on stopping,” he said. 

“You seemed to do fine the last week while we were on the ship,” she pointed out. 

“Are you really that naive?” Hans asked. “There was a bar on that ship, darling. That’s where I was almost the entire time. I just made sure not to show you that side. Only having a drink here and there. I do know my limits, even if it seems like I don’t sometimes.” He chugged the rest of the drink and set the glass on an end table. 

“That’s it?” Anna asked. 

“What?” Hans asked, confused. 

“The thing you put above your family. You put alcohol over spending time with your family! Hans, how could you?!” she whisper-shouted. 

“Hey! I spent time with both of you,” Hans retorted. 

“At meals. And maybe a couple of games. That was it!” 

“What do you expect? You want me to spend the entire day with him?” 

“Yes! Or as much as you can. He’s missed having that father-son relationship in his life, Hans. You’ve been away at casinos and bars way too much for the last five years.” Hans looked off in the distance, not saying anything. Anna sighed, but then she came up with an idea. She walked up to him, locked one of her hands with his, and wrapped the free arm around him. “Can you do me a favor while we’re here?” 

“Depends what it is,” Hans replied, still not looking in her direction. 

“While we’re here, I want you to do more things with our son. I’ll be busy practicing for my first show. That will give you two plenty of bonding time. Can you be the father he’s missed? The father you were for him the first five years of his life? Do it for both of us?” she requested. Hans looked down at her, clearly thinking about the request. Anna tried to give him her best puppy eyes, but it had been so long since she had to use that, and she wasn’t entirely sure if it was even working. 

“I’ll try,” Hans said. “But I can’t make any promises.” 

“Thank you,” Anna said.

“Mama! Papa! Look at this cool toy Mister E got me!” Ronen shouted. 

“Mister E bought our child a toy?” Hans asked angrily. 

“According to Dan-the cab driver, he bought all of us welcome gifts,” Anna explained. “This is Ronen’s gift.” 

“Yeah! And it’s amazing, too! Listen to this melody!” Ronen placed the toy on the table for all to see. The toy was a pianist with his piano. As Ronen turned the dial, Anna watched the little figure’s arms move slightly.

After Ronen was done winding it, it started playing a melody. One that sounded extremely familiar to Anna. 

As she listened to the notes, she got lost traveling down memory lane, to where she had heard this song before. The toy didn’t say any words, but Anna knew all of them by heart. 

_In sleep he sang to me. In dreams he came. That voice which calls to me and speaks my name._

A knock sounded at the door, pulling Anna out of her thoughts, and making all of them turn to the door. Hans was the first to move and actually open the door. 

“Good evening, sir,” a man said. Anna didn’t recognize the face or the voice. This was someone new. “Sorry to disturb you, but a Mister Thompson has requested you join him to discuss a job opportunity.” 

“A job opportunity?” Anna asked as she joined her husband at the door. “What kind of job?” 

“I’m not sure. He didn’t tell me. Sadly, I am just the messenger,” the man said. He pulled out a letter from his coat pocket. “Here’s the address for where to meet him. He says to meet him there by eight, and don’t be late.” 

“Thank you,” Hans said, as he took the note from the man. The man bowed and then walked away. Hans slammed the door shut. 

“Are you going to meet with this Mister Thompson?” Anna asked. 

“I’m certainly considering it,” Hans answered. He opened the note, and he smirked. “Actually, make that a definite yes. He’s asked me to meet him at a bar. Even if I don’t get the job, I can still have a great time tonight.” 

“Hans...” Anna began, clearly disapproving of that choice. 

“Forget it, Anna. You can’t make me change my mind and stay,” Hans said. 

“Papa, can you play with me before you leave?” Ronen asked from the table.

“I’m sorry, Ronen. It’s already seven, and I don’t want to be late for this,” Hans said, changing into a new coat. “I will see you all in the morning.” 

“Hans,” Anna tried again. 

“What, Anna?” Hans asked. 

“Nothing. Just... don’t stay out too late, okay?” Hans didn’t say anything as he walked out and closed the door behind him. 

“Papa never plays with me. Does he even love me?” Ronen asked in a soft voice. 

“Oh, darling.” Anna walked over to him, and sat on the couch with him. “Of course your father loves you. He’s just... a little more interested in this job opportunity. Kind of like when I was busy with those letters of offers for my talent. You remember that, don’t you?” Ronen nodded. “That’s all it is. I’m sure he’ll be spending a lot more time with you soon, especially while I’m busy working on the stage. You’ll see. This time here in America will change our lives for the better, no matter what happens.” 

“You promise?” Ronen asked. 

“I promise,” Anna said, kissing his forehead. 

“I love you, Mama,” he whispered. 

“I love you too, darling.” They hugged each other for a few moments, until Anna felt him yawning. “And it looks like it’s time for someone to go to bed.” Ronen tried objecting, but his continued yawning gave him away. “Come on. Let’s go find you a room, get you changed into some pajamas, and put you to bed. It’s been a long trip, and tomorrow will be a long day as well.” 

“What are we doing tomorrow?” Ronen asked as they walked up the stairs, carrying his bags up there. 

“We’re going to go see the theater, and find out what this first show for me will be,” Anna explained.

“Will we get to meet Mister E?” Ronen asked excitedly. 

“Possibly. Hopefully,” Anna said. “I am just as curious about who this mysterious man is as you are.” 

They found a room for him that was just a couple doors from the master bedroom, so he could come find them easily if needed. 

Anna worked on getting his bed to be the way he liked it while he changed into his pajamas. Her work was almost ruined as Ronen jumped into the bed. 

“Ronen!” Anna playfully scolded. Ronen just giggled. Anna tickled his sides, making him giggle even more. “Okay. Time for bed,” she finally said. Ronen got into a comfortable position, and Anna covered the blanket over him, tucking him in. “Sleep well, Little one.” 

“You too, Mama,” he whispered as Anna kissed his forehead. “Good night.” 

“Good night,” Anna replied before walking out of the room. She walked downstairs, and briefly considered moving the suitcases upstairs. She really didn’t want to deal with that yet, though. She had time to take care of that. She was really curious about the toy that Ronen had received. 

As she walked over to where it sat on the table, she worked on letting her hair down, first unpinning it so it was just a braid, and then slowly unraveling the braid so it was just a ponytail. She set all the extra hair accessories on the table, and wound up the toy, letting it play the familiar melody again. 

“That was probably my favorite song I ever wrote,” a voice said from behind her. An all too familiar voice. One that she had heard recently in her dreams, but hadn’t really heard in a decade. 

Anna turned around to face him, and she inhaled sharply. There was no way this was real. It had to be a crazy dream. 

“Then again,” he continued. “I didn’t write all of it. You helped me write some. And I think that’s what has made it my favorite.” 

“Kristoff?” she softly asked. Kristoff grinned. 

“Hello, Anna. Did you miss me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived! 😃 How happy are you that they have finally reunited?


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Kristoff reunite.

Anna stared at the man standing before her, speechless. He was here. After ten long years, she was finally seeing him again. He was wearing the white half-mask that he wore during her last performance - the last night that she saw him. Even though the mask covered half of his face, it didn’t hide the things that changed. Namely that he had a beard now. That was the main feature that convinced Anna this wasn’t a dream - that it was real. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined him with a beard, but she liked how it looked. 

Kristoff opened his arms wide, and that was apparently Anna’s breaking point. Tears streamed down her face as she ran to him, hugging him tightly. He was quick to reciprocate the hug. Hans’ hugs were never anything like this. She hadn’t felt this safe and comfortable in a very long time. It felt like being home, and it made the tears come faster. 

“Can I take that as a yes?” Kristoff asked playfully. Anna smiled at the playful tone. She was glad he hadn’t lost that. 

“Yes. Oh, I’ve missed you so much,” Anna replied. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, and hoped I would be able to see you again.” 

“I know,” Kristoff whispered. “I’ve missed you, too, and I hoped to see you as well.” He ran a soothing hand up and down her back. “You have no idea the suspense I went through, sending that first letter to you, and then the second, wondering if you would actually accept my offer or not.” 

Anna pulled back a little to look at him now. “Why didn’t you use your own handwriting for that letter? Or even your real name? I would have accepted immediately if I knew it was you.” 

It was Kristoff’s turn to inhale sharply. He let out the breath slowly, looking at the ground, unable to meet her eyes. 

“I... I didn’t know where you were at. I mean, with your thoughts about me. I didn’t know if you were upset with me. For all I know, with the lack of notes, you could have hated me.” 

“Hate you? Why... How could I ever hate you?” Anna asked in a quiet voice. “Even though we had to go separate ways, I could never in a million years hate you. Not after everything you did for me.” The tears had slowed down a little before, but as she said the last line, they came rushing down again. Kristoff looked up to meet her gaze. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know... And I didn’t know how your husband would react if he saw my name on there. I had to play it safe,” he said, grabbing her hands in his. “I’m glad you’re here, though. So glad. It’s so good to see you again.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “And I love your hair in a ponytail. I don’t remember seeing it like that before.”

“Yeah. It’s not my typical style, but I was tired of having my hair up in a bun,” she admitted. 

“It looks amazing,” he said, continuing to run his fingers through it. 

“So does your beard,” Anna commented. Kristoff turned to fully look at her again, no longer distracted by her hair. 

“Really? You really like it?” Kristoff asked, subconsciously running a hand over it. 

“Yes, I really do. It’s a good look for you,” she replied with a smile. Kristoff smiled back at her, and it made Anna’s heart warm and melt at the same time. She had missed that smile so much. “There’s probably so much that has changed for both of us over the years, isn’t there?”

“Yeah. There is,” Kristoff replied, resting his forehead against hers. Anna took a deep breath, and looked up into his honey brown eyes as she exhaled. “Do you think we could go back to the way things were before?” 

Anna pulled away completely. “I don’t know, Kristoff. Things are a lot different. I’m married now. I have a son that I have to think about, and make sure he’s happy.” 

“What’s his name?” Kristoff asked. 

“Ronen,” Anna replied with a smile. “He’s my little angel. I’ll do anything to make sure that child continues to have the best life he can have.” 

“And that’s not with me in the picture,” Kristoff muttered. 

Anna wanted to scream at him. Tell him how wrong he was about that. How him being a main figure in Ronen’s life would be so much better. She didn’t say any of those things, though. She couldn’t. It was too soon for that. 

“I didn’t say that,” she said instead. “I just... don’t know right now. Divorces are never easy for kids, and if we went back to the way we were ten years ago, that’s what would have to happen.” 

“So we did feel the same way,” Kristoff whispered. 

“Did you really doubt it?” Anna asked. “I never would have slept with you if I didn’t feel that way about you, Kristoff. I meant every bit of that.” Kristoff continued to just look at her, not saying anything. Anna walked forward and ran a hand over his new beard. It felt a little rough and prickly, but overall, it was soft. She changed the direction of her gaze, laying a hand on his mask. Kristoff inhaled sharply - clear still a common reaction for him - but didn’t attempt to stop her. Just like he never stopped her all those years ago. He was still comfortable with her seeing him fully. 

Anna was just about to take off the mask when she heard a loud scream from upstairs. 

“MAMA!” Ronen shouted. Anna quickly pulled away from Kristoff and ran over to the staircase.

“I’m down here, darling!” she called, running up the staircase as Ronen ran down the hall to her. The child was in tears when Anna saw him. She pulled him close. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” 

“It was awful,” he said, trying to talk through the tears. “An awful nightmare, where someone pulled out a weapon and attacked you. And you tried to fight against it, but it was too much, and you died.” 

Anna’s eyes widened in horror. Ronen never had nightmares that extreme. That must have been so traumatizing for him. She knelt down fo his level and hugged him tightly. 

“It’s okay. I’m right here. Nothing’s going to happen to me,” she whispered. She glanced to the side to see Kristoff was still standing there, watching them attentively. “Hey. I want you to meet someone,” she whispered to Ronen. 

“Who is it?” Ronen asked as they broke from the hug. Anna stood up, grabbed his hand, and led him downstairs. 

“Ronen, this is Mister E,” Anna announced once they reached the bottom of the steps. Ronen quickly wiped away the tears and looked over in Kristoff’s direction.

“Welcome to America, Little Ronen,” Kristoff announced, extending his arms to gesture to everything. 

“You’re Mister E? You’re the mystery man?” Ronen asked, slowly walking towards him. 

“Yes, I am,” Kristoff replied. “I’ve heard some great things about you. I also heard you would like to do some sight seeing?” Ronen nodded. “Where would you like to start first?” 

“I don’t know. What is the most interesting thing to do here?” Ronen asked. 

“Oh, there’s a lot of interesting things to do, especially here in New York,” Kristoff commented. He looked up at Anna briefly, before lowering his eyes back down to Ronen. “In fact, I will personally show you as many as I can while you’re here, starting with the musical theater.” 

“You would really do that?” Ronen exclaimed, a grin on his face, his nightmare long forgotten by now.

“I really will,” Kristoff replied. “Anything for Mrs. Westergaard and her family.” His gaze drifted back up to lock with Anna’s. 

“We’ll start that in the morning,” she said to Ronen, breaking the eye lock that was going on with Kristoff. “Time for you to go back to bed.” 

“Mama, can I sleep in your room?” Ronen asked, looking up at her. Anna smiled slightly. 

“Sure. I will be there in a few minutes, after Mister E and I are done talking,” she replied. 

“Okay!” Ronen said. “Nice to meet you, sir.” He bowed before turning to the stairs. 

“You as well, Little Westergaard,” Kristoff said, the smile never leaving his face. Anna watched her son walk up to the bedroom, and waited until the door closed before turning back to face Kristoff. “He looks like the spitting image of you.” 

“Almost. There are little traces of his father in him,” Anna commented.

“Really? I didn’t see any bit of Hans in that child, except maybe with the color of his hair. But that looks a lot more like yours, too,” Kristoff replied. 

“They’re very subtle traits,” Anna said, looking up towards the bedroom door, unable to meet Kristoff’s gaze. 

“Well, you’ve done a great job raising him nonetheless,” Kristoff said, walking closer to her. 

“I’ve tried. There’s been some really difficult times, though.” 

“There always are, especially with your first. It’s a learning curve. But you seem to have handled it well, just like I knew you could.” He rested one of his hands on her cheek, and Anna instinctively leaned into it, finally meeting his gaze again. As they continued to stare at each other, Anna raised her hand up to grab his hand that was covering her cheek. She had missed this a lot. More than words could probably even describe. 

“I need to get going,” he finally said, pulling from the intimate moment, leaving Anna stunned. 

“Already? You just got here,” Anna said. Kristoff gave her a knowing smile.

“Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of time together over the next few weeks, but your husband will probably be coming home soon, and you need your sleep for the busy day ahead of you,” Kristoff said. Anna smiled. That was the mentor side of him. She hadn’t heard that tone from anyone in awhile, and she really missed it. “Before I go, though.” He pulled something out of a bag. Anna didn’t even realize he had a bag. Anna knew what the thing from the bag was before he even had to say anything else, but he told her anyways. “Here’s your parts in the new show. I hope it’s not too much.” 

Anna took the book and opened it to look at all the songs. There didn’t seem to be anything too difficult, but she would truly figure out how difficult the songs would be during practice tomorrow. 

Anna looked up to say something, and saw he was already on the other side of the building. 

“Kristoff,” she called. He turned around as he opened the back door. “Thank you.” Kristoff smiled. 

“No problem. Sleep well, Anna.” Without another word, he turned and walked out of the house, closing the door behind him. 

Anna’s eyes drifted back to the sheet music as she walked over to the suitcases. She couldn’t deny it any longer. She was excited to be singing again, and even more so now that she knew she would be singing Kristoff’s songs again. 

She grabbed her suitcase and overnight bag and carried them upstairs to her room. She was too tired to grab Hans’ bags. If he really needed them, he would grab them himself. 

She walked into the master bedroom and fumbled around for the bathroom light. She finally found it and switched it on. It didn’t illuminate the bedroom very much, but she was able to see where the bed was that Ronen was sleeping in. She also noticed there were a couple of chairs, and the bottle of whiskey in the corner. 

She walked out of the bathroom to grab the bottle. She knew she would probably be punished for it, but she had to do it, for all of their safety. She walked it back to the bathroom and poured the remaining contents down the drain. 

She set the empty bottle in the trash, and then walked out of the bathroom to grab one of her nightgowns. She decided on a white one, and quickly changed into it, letting her hair down completely in the process. She quickly brushed it to make sure there weren’t any tangles. 

When she was done getting ready for bed, she grabbed her music book and set it on one of the chairs so it was close by. Once she decided she was settled in enough for the night, she walked over to the bathroom, turned off the light, and then crawled into bed. Ronen must have subconsciously sensed her get in bed, because his arm immediately wrapped around her waist. Anna smiled, and laid on her side, pulling him closer and kissing the top of his head. He didn’t react at all after that, which confirmed he was truly asleep. Anna ran her fingers soothingly through his hair as she slowly fell asleep herself, excited for what tomorrow would bring.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans returns to their house.

Chapter 15

Anna wasn’t asleep long before she heard a loud crash that startled her awake. The sudden movement also woke Ronen up, but he wasn’t as alert yet. 

“Mama?” he whispered. 

“It’s okay. I’m going to go see what’s going on. Wait here,” Anna whispered back. She shuffled out of bed and walked out of the bedroom. 

“Such a dreadful town. People can’t even show up to their own meetings,” someone grumbled. Anna looked over the railing to see who it was, and sighed when she saw it was just Hans. She walked back into the bedroom to calm down her son. 

“It’s just your father returning home for the night,” she whispered, brushing back his hair. She made a mental note to cut it before they went out tomorrow. “Go back to sleep. I’m going to go see what he needs.” 

Ronen yawned and turned over, not fighting the idea of falling back asleep. Anna ran out of the room and down the stairs to where her husband was standing in the living room, only a single lamp being her source of light.

“Hans? Is everything okay?” she asked, walking over to him. 

“He never showed up,” Hans grumpily said. 

“Who?” Anna asked. She was still a little too tired to remember why Hans had left in the first place. 

“Mr. Thompson. At the bar,” Hans answered. “I don’t like this place. I hope your show doesn’t last long so we can get the hell out of here and back to the Southern Isles.” 

Anna felt nauseous as she was reminded of a similar exchange that happened between them the last time she was performing. 

“I think you’re being too harsh,” Anna said, walking up to him and hugging him from behind. “We haven’t even been here for a full day, and we’ve been traveling at sea for over a week, so we’re all tired. Why don’t you come upstairs, come to bed with me to sleep, and then we can start tomorrow fresh?” 

“I doubt this place will get much better, but sure,” Hans said. Anna smiled as they locked hands and walked towards the stairs. 

“Oh, by the way, be a little careful when you get into bed. Ronen’s sleeping in there as well,” Anna commented.

“Why is he sleeping in our bed? Isn’t there another bedroom for him to use?” Hans asked angrily. 

“Well, yes, but he had a horrible dream, and asked if he could sleep with me. I told him yes,” Anna replied. Hans groaned, and took a few steps back. 

“Well, I guess I’ll have to find a new place to sleep. We won’t all fit in one bed,” he grumbled. 

“What do you mean? Sure we will! That bed is huge! Ronen and I barely take up half of it,” Anna retorted. 

“No bed is big enough for all of us. I guess I’ll go sleep on the couch since you’ve decided to baby him again.” He started walking towards the living room.

“Hans! Come on. Stop being so stubborn. There are tons of other bedrooms you can sleep in if you don’t want to sleep with us in the master room,” Anna said. Hans mumbled something, but Anna couldn’t hear what he actually said. He collapsed on the couch, and fell asleep almost instantly. Anna sighed. He must have had too much to drink again with how easy he fell asleep. She turned and walked back up to the bedroom. 

Ronen was asleep when she crawled back in the bed. She pulled him close to her as she slowly fell back asleep, hoping tomorrow would actually be a better day for all of them, including her husband. 

***

Hans never joined them in the bedroom. Anna found him the next morning still sleeping on the couch. She let him sleep until she was done making breakfast. When he still wasn’t awake, she decided to wake him up, not caring how grumpy he may be. She had a big day ahead of her, and they all needed to get ready. Hans didn’t say much as they all ate breakfast. After breakfast, Anna and Ronen went upstairs to get ready for the day.

“This is so exciting!” Ronen exclaimed as Anna was finishing his hair cut. “I get to see what you used to do for a living! Will we also see Mister E again today?” 

“I’m sure we will,” Anna said. “But you’ll have to be patient. He doesn’t particularly like being in large groups.” 

“Okay,” Ronen said. Anna cut the last part, and combed out his hair to make sure it was all even. 

“Okay. You’re all done,” she said. “Go get dressed, and then we’ll head out.” 

“Yes, Mama.” He hopped off the chair and ran to his bedroom to change. 

Anna fixed her hair up into her regular braided bun and made sure her dress didn’t have any wrinkles. She had decided on a sage green dress that was more for regular wear. It had white lacing along the collar and on the cuffs of the sleeves that reached her wrists, and decorative buttons on the top half. She added a green ribbon to her hair to tie all of it together. Taking one final look in the mirror, she decided it was nice enough, grabbed her music book, and carried it with her downstairs.

Hans was sitting in one of the chairs reading the morning newspaper. Anna set the music book on the end table, walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. 

“Anything interesting?” she asked as she looked at the papers from over his shoulder. 

“Not really, other than the fact your picture has already made it to the front page,” Hans said, closing the newspaper so she could see the picture. It wasn’t her best picture, but the stoic expression on her face helped her look a bit more mature than a smiling face might have. “The paper says you joined Mister E, but it also says no one knows this guy. Are we certain we can trust him?” 

“Yes,” Anna said immediately. “I met him briefly last night. Daniel brought him over so he could give me the sheet music. He seems to be a really nice guy, and I trust him.” 

“You’ve also been one to easily trust someone. Like with that Opera Ghost guy that you seemed extremely comfortable with, but that everyone else was terrified of,” Hans countered. “You wouldn’t truly know danger until it was too late.”

“And you would? You’re the one who went to a bar by yourself to meet with a complete stranger about a job,” Anna retorted. 

“First of all, I’m a man. I can take care of myself. And we saw how horribly that went. He didn’t even show,” Hans reminded her. 

“I can take care of myself,” Anna muttered, ignoring the rest of what he said. 

“I didn’t say you couldn’t. But as your husband, it’s also my job to protect you when I can.” 

_You did a great job of that when you threw away all of our money._ Anna bit her tongue, and made sure not to say that aloud. It would only make him angry, and she really didn’t need him to be angry today. 

“I’m ready!” Ronen shouted from the stairs. Anna stood up and walked over to him, grabbing her music book that she set on the end table in the process.

“Okay. Let’s go,” she said. She extended her free hand to him, and he gladly accepted it. Hans walked up to them and rested his hand on Anna’s back. Together, they all walked out of the house and across the grass to the theater.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna, Hans, and Ronen get a tour of the theater.

Anna was so glad the theater was only a short distance from their new place. She was also excited to see what it looked like on the inside. Ronen seemed to be just as excited as her. Anna knew Hans didn’t really care, but she was thankful he was still coming, and didn’t look for a way to get out of it. 

When they reached the front of the theater, Anna took a few steps back to read the large banner hanging over the door. 

“Mister E Presents: Phantasma” 

Anna couldn’t help but smirk at the subtle hint in that title. Of course he would incorporate that into his new show. 

“Are you Mrs. Westergaard?” someone at the front door asked. Anna turned to face the man. He was a tall, fit man wearing a simply black suit. 

“Yes, I am,” Anna answered. 

“Come follow me. Mister E has assigned me to give you and your family a full tour of the theater,” he said. 

“I’m liking this Mister E guy more and more!” Ronen exclaimed, running up to the guide. Anna and Hans followed close behind. 

The entrance doors were clear glass, but the daylight was reflecting off of it so they could only see their reflections. As the doors opened, and the four of them stepped inside, Anna couldn’t help but gasp at the sight.

There was a grand staircase that went up about ten steps before different directions in front of her. The railings were a bright gold. The red carpet on the ground floor carried up the middle of the stairs, but it left the ends of the white marble stairs visible for everyone to marvel at. 

Above the stairwell was a chandelier, much bigger than the one in Arendelle’s opera house. It was absolutely gorgeous. 

“Mama! Where do these lead to?” Ronen asked, pulling Anna out of her daze. He was starting to walk up the stairs. 

“I’m not sure, but I don’t think we’re allowed to be up there right now, darling,” Anna answered. 

“Mister E doesn’t like anyone going up there without special permission,” the guide confirmed. 

“Come back down here please,” Anna instructed. Ronen obeyed, walking back over to her side. 

“This way,” the guide said. The three of them followed him around the staircase down a long corridor. There were a few bathrooms, and some doors marked as “management only”. They didn’t enter any of those rooms. 

“We do have a bar and grill here,” the guide stated, pointing at the grand doors that led to it.

“Is it open right now?” Hans asked. Anna turned slightly to give him a disapproving look, but he didn’t see her. 

“Yes, I believe it is,” the guide answered. Hans smirked. 

“Okay. You can continue this lame tour. I’m going to get a couple of drinks,” Hans stated, and walked into the bar. 

“Please excuse my husband. Your tour is not lame. He just doesn’t care much for theatre,” Anna quickly explained after he was gone. 

“That’s okay. I understand it’s not for everyone,” the guide replied. “That’s why I mention the grill as a nice way for those who are bored to be able to escape before we get to the good stuff.”

“What’s the good stuff?” Ronen asked. 

“The behind-the-scenes work of everything. From the stage, to the dressing rooms, to the props,” the guide explained. Ronen’s smile turned into a wide grin, and Anna couldn’t help but smile as well - partly from just seeing her son’s excitement, but also partly because of the memories of her previous times on stage. 

The stage was the next area that they visited. Before they entered the auditorium, though, their guide warned them about rehearsals going on, and to be very quiet. 

“Stay by my side in here, okay?” Anna whispered to Ronen. The young boy nodded, and Anna held his hand as they quietly walked into the auditorium. 

“Okay, ladies!” the director shouted. “Let’s do this again, from the top!” 

Anna watched as the dancers took their positions, and started prancing and twirling around the stage as the music started. She remembered her days as a ballerina fondly. She wondered if Kristoff would have her do any dance routines for her part in the show. 

“Is it true? Could it really be you?” a voice from behind Anna asked. Anna turned around, and the woman gasped. “It is! Anna!” 

“I’m sorry. Have we met?” Anna asked. 

“Oh, don’t tell me that ten years with Hans has made you forget your best friend!” 

Anna gasped as well. Her hair was completely down, and she was wearing a light blue dress instead of her normal ballet costume, but there was no doubt about it. 

“Elsa!” she exclaimed, and the two friends hugged. “It’s so good to see you again!” 

“It’s good to see you, too, Anna!” Elsa said as their hug tightened. 

“Mama?” Ronen called. 

“Oh!” Anna broke from the hug and took a few steps back to be next to Ronen again. “Elsa, this is my son, Ronen!” 

“Hello, Ronen,” Elsa greeted, extending her arm out for a handshake that Ronen gladly accepted. “I’m Elsa. I was your mother’s best friend when we lived in Arendelle together.” 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Ronen said. 

“What brought you to America anyways?” Anna asked Elsa. 

“Well, we left when Mister Bjorgman left. He’s the one who brought us to America,” Elsa explained. “And I was all for a new place to continue my career.”

“So what do you do now for these shows? Are you still a dancer?” Anna asked.

“Sort of. But I’ve also been the main performer for most of them. I basically took over your role after you left,” Elsa explained with an embarrassed laugh. “Oh! I’m also the assistant choreographer, helping my mom.” 

“Really?! That’s great!” Anna exclaimed. “I’m so glad things have been going well for you here.” 

“Yes. I am, too. But I’m also so happy that you’re coming back to perform! It will be just like old times,” Elsa replied. Looking over Anna’s shoulder, she added, “In more ways than one.” 

Anna turned around to see Ronen and Kristoff walking out of the room. She didn’t even realize Ronen had left her side. At least she knew Ronen was in safe hands. 

“Have you two talked yet?” Elsa asked. 

“Yes. He came and visited me last night,” Anna replied. “It was a short visit, though.”

“Well, it seems like your son is already liking him,” Elsa noted. 

“Yeah. Well, it’s not hard to like him when he shows his true side, and isn’t being an Opera Ghost,” Anna replied, smiling at the memory. 

“I wish I could get as close to him as you did,” Elsa commented. 

“What do you mean?” Anna asked, confused. 

“We may have come to America with him, but he kept all of his walls up after you left. No one has come anywhere near the level of friendship that you had with him. Not even my mother,” Elsa explained. “But he has opened a little more since the old Arendelle days. He comes and watches some of our rehearsals to give us some pointers. He usually disappears immediately after, but at least it’s something. Nothing like what you two had, though.” 

“We didn’t have that much, really,” Anna countered. “He was more or less just my vocal teacher for three years. And we just happened to share the same room. It wasn’t that different.” 

“Those dances you two shared ten years ago say otherwise,” Elsa replied with a knowing look. Anna poured. She really couldn’t hide anything from her friend. Even after ten years of being apart, Elsa still knew her well. 

“Elsa!” Yelana shouted from the stage. “Break time is over! Time to get back to your job!” 

“Yes, Mother!” Elsa shouted. She gave Anna a quick hug. “Good to see you again, Anna!”

“Likewise!” Anna replied. Elsa began running to the stage. “Oh, hey! Where will I be able to find Ronen?” 

“My guess is they went upstairs. I’m sure you’ll be able to find your way to them without any issues,” Elsa said with a wink. 

Anna watched her walk back on stage and teach the others a few new dance moves. She really was a natural up there now. Anna wondered if she would ever be able to catch up to that level again.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristoff and Ronen have some bonding time together.

~~ Kristoff’s POV ~~

Kristoff hadn’t planned on even leaving his room while Anna and her family were going on their tour. He didn’t want to create any problems with her husband by randomly showing up. 

Yelana had requested his audience, though, and he didn’t dare say no to her. Besides, if the tour was going as planned, Anna and her family would be somewhere in the back by now. 

He entered the theater on the right side of the room and sat down in a random seat so he could watch the dancers. He didn’t even notice the guests on the other side of the room until he heard someone speaking from beside him. 

“Hi, Mister E!” the voice said. Kristoff startled and turned to see Ronen standing only a few seats away with a smile. 

“Hello, Little Ronen,” he said. He looked to the side to see Anna was talking to Elsa. That would explain why Elsa wasn’t currently on the stage practicing the choreography. “Are you enjoying the tour?” 

“Yes! This place is amazing!” Ronen exclaimed. “Although, the tour kind of stopped when Mama saw her friend.” He gestured to the two women talking in the back. Kristoff looked at them conversing and smiling, which made him smile as well. It was amazing to be able to see Anna again, and he was glad she was so happy to be back here. 

“What’s upstairs?” Ronen asked randomly. “Our guide didn’t let us go there.” 

“Oh. There’s nothing too exciting up there,” Kristoff said, trying to brush it off. “It’s just my bedroom up there, where I do most of my work.” 

“Do you write your own music?” Ronen asked. Kristoff nodded. “Can I see it?” 

The question was very similar to what Anna would ask when they used to live together in Arendelle. And even though Ronen’s eye color wasn’t the same as Anna’s, he still had the same puppy eyes look Anna would give him that he could never say no to. 

“Okay. Let me just go check with Madame Yelana and make sure she doesn’t need me anymore,” Kristoff said. “You can follow me, if you want.” 

Kristoff stood up and began walking towards the stage. He froze when he felt a hand grab his. He didn’t have to look to know it was Ronen’s hand. There was no one that close in proximity to him, and it was smaller than an adult’s hand. The feeling was so foreign to him, it took him a few moments to return the hold. If Ronen noticed the hesitation, he didn’t say anything as they walked to the stage.

“Wait here,” Kristoff whispered to Ronen as they reached the stairs to the stage. Ronen simply nodded as Kristoff walked up the three steps and over to Yelana.

“Hey,” he said to the dance director. “I had something come up.” He gestured over to Ronen, and Yelana smiled knowingly. “Can I come back afterwards and watch the rehearsal then?” 

“Yes. That’s fine. I know you won’t really be paying attention anyways,” Yelana teased. “Go enjoy some time with Anna’s son.” 

“Thank you, Yelana,” Kristoff said with a smile. Yelana waved him off as she directed her attention back to the dancers. Kristoff turned and walked back down to Ronen. “Are you ready?” 

“Yes!” Ronen exclaimed. Kristoff looked up to see Anna turn and meet his gaze. She didn’t say anything as she watched them walk out of the room. She just smiled before turning back to Elsa. 

“Mama writes a lot of songs, but she doesn’t usually let me see them after,” Ronen commented as they walked to the secret entrance. 

“Really? Do you know what they’re about?” Kristoff asked. He knew Anna was capable of making up her own lyrics; he had seen that first hand. He was glad she had continued that over the years, but he wasn’t entirely sure why that made him so happy. 

Ronen pouted. “No. Usually when I ask her about them, she just says they’re nothing. I hope one day I can be like her and write my own songs as well.” 

“Oh, I’m sure you will, if you push yourself to,” Kristoff said. “That’s how I got to where I am now. I had to teach myself to write music, and it became my favorite thing to do.” He opened the door to his bedroom. “It’s not much, but it’s enough for me. Feel free to take a look around. I’ll go pull out some of the music.” 

Kristoff walked over to his bed to pull out the box under it. Before he got that far, though, he heard notes being played on the piano. It wasn’t a well-known song, either. It was one of the songs he had written a decade ago. 

“Where did you learn to play that?” Kristoff asked, walking over to Ronen. 

“I found it in the entertainment room back at home,” Ronen answered. “It sounded beautiful, so I learned to play it.” 

“That was one of the songs I wrote,” Kristoff stated. That comment made Ronen stop playing, turning fully. 

“Really? How did Mama and Papa have it?” Ronen asked. “Mama said she never heard of you before.” 

“Oh,” Kristoff said. What was he going to tell this kid? He didn’t want to make Anna look like a liar; it wasn’t her fault he used a cover name that she didn’t recognize. “Well... Maybe your mother got it from one of her theater friends back in the day.” 

“Oh. Someone like Elsa?” Ronen asked. 

“Yes. Someone like Elsa,” Kristoff replied. “By the way, who taught you piano?” 

“Mama did,” Ronen answered. “She says I’m better at it than she is, though. I don’t know if that’s true or not.” 

“It could be true. You’re starting at a younger age than she probably did,” Kristoff replied. He was surprised to hear Anna had learned how to play the piano, and was teaching her son. She had come a long way from when he saw her last. She claimed she didn’t know how to play back then. He wondered what moved her to learn to play it. 

He shook that thought away and sat down next to Ronen. “Continue playing,” he instructed. Ronen did as he was told, and began playing the song from the beginning again. Kristoff joined in, hitting the bass notes that Ronen couldn’t reach with his shorter hands. 

They played through most of the song when Anna entered the room. 

“Ronen?” she called as the door opened. Both Kristoff and Ronen turned to face the door. 

“Hi, Mama!” Ronen greeted, standing up from the bench and walking over to her. 

“Ronen, darling, I don’t mind you hanging out with Mister E, but next time could you tell me you’re leaving?” Anna requested. 

“Oh, right. Yes, Mama. I’ll remember to do that,” Ronen answered. Anna smiled and ran her hand through his hair. “Oh! Did you know Mister E wrote that song I found in the entertainment room? I was just playing it! And Mister E was helping me!” 

“Oh,” Anna said, looking up and meeting Kristoff’s gaze for a moment. “That’s great, darling! I didn’t know Mister E wrote that. Or maybe it slipped my mind.” 

“He was going to show me some of the other songs as well,” Ronen added. Anna and Kristoff locked eyes again. 

“Well, maybe we can do that at a different time. It’s almost time for lunch, and I’m sure Mister E would like to take his break now,” Anna said. “Are you hungry?” 

Ronen’s stomach started to growl, and Anna chuckled. 

“Yeah. I guess I’m a little hungry,” Ronen admitted. 

“Okay. Why don’t you head downstairs and wait for me by the entrance?” Anna suggested. “I need to talk to Mister E about a couple of things, and then I’ll be right down, and we’ll find a fantastic place to eat.” 

“Yes, Mama!” Ronen said, and walked out of the room. Kristoff watched Anna wait until he was far enough away before turning her full attention to him. 

“I didn’t know you kept that song,” Kristoff said. 

“I didn’t. I didn’t really keep any of my music. Not because I didn’t want to! Just with how much of a rush it was that morning, I forgot to grab any of it,” Anna rambled. “Hans actually received a copy of the music because he was a patron, and that’s how Ronen found it.” 

“Oh,” Kristoff said, and averted his gaze. “I thought...” 

“What?” Anna asked, taking a step closer to him.

“Nothing. It’s silly. I don’t even know why I thought it,” Kristoff said, trying to brush it off. Anna wasn’t having any of it. 

“Kristoff. Tell me. What did you think?” Anna pressed.

“I thought... I thought maybe you had kept that one song because it marked the start of your solo singing career. I forgot I still had the extra copies of all those songs,” Kristoff replied glumly. 

“Kristoff...” Anna began, but she wasn’t quite sure what to say. What could she say to comfort or reassure him? Even if she didn’t mean anything by it, it had been ten years. The damage was done. 

“Don’t worry about me. It’s fine. I’m fine,” Kristoff replied. “Go have lunch with your son. I’ll see you back here at 4 pm for our first practice session.” 

“Okay,” Anna said. She didn’t move for a few moments, and Kristoff wondered why she was hesitating. He noticed her fingers twitching a little. He looked up to see her fully, but that seemed to put things in motion for her. She did a quick little curtsy and then walked out of the room, leaving Kristoff alone with his thoughts.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Ronen prepare to go to lunch together.

~~ Anna’s POV ~~

Anna wasn’t expecting to see the sight before her when she opened the door. She could hear the music, but didn’t realize there were two people playing it. If she had, she would have stayed silent and just watched them play. 

Still, she caught a quick glimpse of Kristoff and Ronen playing together. It made Anna’s heart ache, as she was reminded of what could have been. What could have happened if she had fought harder against Hans to stay in Arendelle. What could have happened if Kristoff hadn’t left. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when Ronen ran up to her and hugged her. She lightly reprimanded him for disappearing without permission, but she wasn’t really that upset. She had seen him leave with Kristoff. He would never harm anyone. 

“Did you know Mister E wrote that song I found in the entertainment room?” Ronen asked. Anna’s gaze shifted up to meet Kristoff’s eyes for the first time since she entered the room. She didn’t know how to answer that question. Of course she knew Kristoff wrote it. It was one of the best songs he had ever written, in her opinion. But she also wasn’t supposed to have a history with “Mister E”. As far as her son knew, they only just met. She wondered if she should tell him the truth now, but somehow that didn’t feel right. 

“Oh. I didn’t know Mr. E wrote that. Or maybe it slipped my mind,” Anna replied instead, looking back down at her son. 

“He was going to show me some of the other songs as well,” Ronen added. Anna and Kristoff locked eyes again. Kristoff was practically expressionless through this entire exchange. He was really good at that, but she knew if they stayed together much longer, especially around music, the truth was bound to come out, and she wasn’t quite ready for that.

“Well, maybe we can do that at a different time. It’s almost time for lunch, and I’m sure Mister E would like to take his break now,” Anna said. “Are you hungry?” 

Ronen’s stomach started to growl, and Anna chuckled. 

“Yeah. I guess I’m a little hungry,” Ronen admitted. 

“Okay. Why don’t you head downstairs and wait for me by the entrance?” Anna suggested. “I need to talk to Mister E about a couple of things, and then I’ll be right down, and we’ll find a fantastic place to eat.” 

“Yes, Mama!” Ronen said, and walked out of the room. Anna watched him walk out of the room and down the hallway, waiting until he was far enough away before she turned her full attention to Kristoff. 

“I didn’t know you kept that song,” Kristoff said. 

“I didn’t. I didn’t really keep any of my music,” Anna replied. Realizing how harsh that sounded, she quickly added,”Not because I didn’t want to! Just with how much of a rush it was that morning, I forgot to grab any of it.” She paused for a brief moment before continuing. “Hans actually received a copy of the music because he was a patron, and that’s how Ronen found it.” 

“Oh,” Kristoff said, and averted his gaze. “I thought...” 

“What?” Anna asked, taking a step closer to him.

“Nothing. It’s silly. I don’t even know why I thought it,” Kristoff said, trying to brush it off. Anna wasn’t having any of it. 

“Kristoff. Tell me. What did you think?” Anna pressed.

“I thought... I thought maybe you had kept that one song because it marked the start of your solo singing career. I forgot I still had the extra copies of all those songs,” Kristoff replied glumly. 

“Kristoff...” Anna began, but she wasn’t quite sure what to say. What could she say to comfort or reassure him? Even if she didn’t mean anything by it, it had been ten years. The damage was done. 

“Don’t worry about me. It’s fine. I’m fine,” Kristoff replied, putting on a smile that Anna could instantly tell was fake. “Go have lunch with your son. I’ll see you back here at 4 pm for our first practice session.” 

“Okay,” Anna said. She didn’t want to leave the conversation at that. There was more to be said. More to be discussed. If nothing else, she wanted to run up to him and give him a comforting hug. A hug that would hopefully be reassuring to him. 

When Kristoff turned to face her direction, though, she realized she had waited too long. She had missed her chance. She did a quick curtsy before turning on her heels and walking out of the room without saying another word. 

When she reached the end of the hallway that met with the top of the stairs, she stopped and took a deep breath to reign in her emotions. She needed to stop thinking about the what if’s. The past was in the past. It couldn’t be changed now. 

Right now, she needed to focus on getting food for Ronen and her to eat before she had to return for practice. 

She massaged her neck to let the tension out, and took another deep breath before heading downstairs. Ronen was obediently waiting for her by the entrance door. 

“Are you ready?” Anna asked as she joined him. 

“Is Papa coming?” Ronen asked. Anna looked down the other hallway where she last saw Hans. 

“I don’t know. He might have already eaten at that bar,” she replied. 

“Can we ask him?” Ronen asked. “I like it when he joins us for meals.” 

“Yeah. So do I,” Anna replied. She looked down at him, and saw his pleading brown eyes. She didn’t know if it was because of those eyes, or the guilt she felt about declining letting Kristoff join them. Maybe it was a mixture of both. Either way, she decided to accept Ronen’s request this time. “Okay. Let’s go see if we can find him.” Ronen grinned and ran down the hallway. “But no running!” 

Ronen immediately slowed down, but kept walking a good distance ahead of Anna. He didn’t stop until he reached the doors to the bar. Anna touched his shoulder when she finally caught up to him, and looked inside the doors. She couldn’t see her husband, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. 

“Wait here. I’m going to see if I can find him,” she instructed, walking into the restaurant without waiting for a response. She knew Hans would be at least a little drunk by now, and she tried to keep that away from Ronen as much as possible. 

“Can I help you with something, Miss?” the bartender asked. Anna didn’t realize she had been looking around like she was lost until he spoke to her. 

“Oh! Um, yes, actually. Have you seen my husband?” Anna asked. When the bartender raised his eyebrow, she added, “Hans Westergaard.” She forgot not everyone knew who that was here like they did in the Southern Isles. He was extremely famous back at their own hometown. 

“Ah! Yes. He’s on the other side of the counter,” the bartender said, pointing to the opposite corner. Anna spotted him, head leaning on the table. She sighed. He must have passed out from drinking too much again. “Wait. Westergaard’s your husband? That means you must be the famous Anna everyone has been talking about around here.” 

“I wouldn’t call myself famous,” Anna deflected. “I haven’t done much in the last ten years to be called famous.” 

“Mister E thinks otherwise,” the bartender replied. Of course he did. He was always praising her like that. It was more than she ever deserved. 

“I’m really not that special,” Anna said again. “And we’re probably not going to stay long, if my husband has any say in it.” 

“Well, either way, I look forward to seeing you perform on the stage. Have a great day, Anna,” the bartender said. Anna smiled and did a small curtsy before walking over to where her husband was. 

“Hans? Darling, time to wake up,” Anna softly said, resting a hand on his shoulder. Hans didn’t budge at all. Anna sighed and tried shaking him a little. “Hans, wake up. Your son wants to have lunch with you.” 

Hans groaned and turned his head in her direction, opening one eye slightly to look at her before closing it again. 

“Why aren’t you eating with Mister E, since he’s so wonderful?” he grumbled. Pointing in the general direction of the bartender, he added, “Even he can’t say enough good things about this guy.” 

“Mister E has other plans and is busy preparing for shows. And Ronen wants to spend time with his father,” Anna explained. Hans groaned. Anna stood upright and looked at the bartender. “Can I get a tall glass of ice water please?” 

“Of course, ma’am,” the bartender replied. Anna turned back to face her husband for a moment while the bartender made the drink. 

“Are you going to be able to be on your best behavior around our son, or should the two of us just go out into this strange unfamiliar town by ourselves?” she asked. The bartender slid the glass of water down their way, and Hans grabbed it in one swift motion and downed the drink. Her comment had the effect she knew it would have, as much as she hated it. She hated Hans treating her like a little child who couldn’t handle herself.

“No way am I letting you take our son to an unknown place in this horrible town. I’ll come join you,” he said. “Let’s go.” 

Hans stood up, grabbed Anna by the wrist, and pulled her out of the bar. Anna gave a little wave goodbye to the bartender, who gave her a stiff wave back.

“Hi, Papa!” Ronen exclaimed, hugging Hans, as they walked out of the bar doors. Hans patted the child’s back once, but quickly averted his gaze to something else in the distance that Anna couldn’t identify. 

“Let’s go find a place to eat,” he said, grabbing Ronen’s hand and walking out of the theatre with both of them in tow. Anna chanced a glance up the stairs as they walked towards the door, and saw Kristoff standing there watching them. He looked almost concerned. Anna gave him a sympathetic smile to try and tell him it would be okay. She wasn’t able to see if he got the message, though, as they walked out the door.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna’s first practice session.

The rides to and from lunch were probably the most exciting part, as they rode in open carriages so they could see all the buildings as they rode by. There were many lights shining everywhere. Anna wondered how this city would look at nighttime. 

Hans seemed to be distant and distracted during the entire meal. He rarely talked, and he was always looking in the opposite direction of Anna and Ronen. Ronen was excitedly telling Hans about what happened after he left them with the tour guide. Hans gave little noises of affirmation every now and then, but Anna could see from Ronen’s expressions that he knew Hans wasn’t really listening. 

It was almost 4 when they finally got back home. 

“Hans, would you mind watching Ronen while I go practice?” Anna asked her husband from the bathroom as she fixed her hair. 

“Why can’t he go back to the theater with you?” Hans asked. He was lying down on the bed. 

“I’ll be on stage practically the entire time, and I don’t want him getting lost or hurt because I’m not keeping my eyes on him the entire time,” Anna explained. “I still don’t know everyone there, and I don’t want our son getting kidnapped.” 

“He’s old enough to fend for himself. He wouldn’t get kidnapped,” Hans argued. Anna closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep from lashing out at her husband. 

“Still. I’m not taking any chances,” she said instead, putting the last pin back in her hair and turned to face him. “The other option would be for both of you to come to the theater with me.” Hans looked intrigued by that option. She quickly added, “You can’t go back to that bar. You’d have to sit in the auditorium with Ronen while I practice.” 

That was a bit riskier, in case Kristoff decided to make an appearance on stage. She didn’t want Hans to know he was here. She had a feeling that he would ship her straight back to the Southern Isles if he ever found out. 

Thankfully, Hans wasn’t interested in sitting in the auditorium. He groaned and leaned back against the bed, covering his eyes with his arm. 

“Fine. I’ll watch the little rascal while you’re gone,” he said. 

“Thanks, hun.” She walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Now, I should be back before he has to go to bed, but just in case I’m not, try to have him in bed by 8. He usually doesn’t do too well the next morning if he doesn’t go to bed on time.” 

“You think I don’t know how to take care of my own son?” Hans spat, sitting up now. 

“I didn’t say that. You just haven’t really been around when he goes to bed, so I’m just making sure you are aware of it,” Anna explained. “He might still be adjusting to the time difference as well. He might actually go to bed earlier than that. But try to spend as much time with him as you can before he does.” 

“Yeah yeah. I’ll try,” Hans said, waving her off. 

“Thank you. I’ll see you later tonight,” Anna said. She gave him a quick kiss, doing her best to ignore the taste of alcohol, and walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs. 

“Mama? Where are you going?” Ronen asked once she reached the bottom of the stairs. She turned to see him standing in the living room. 

“I have practice tonight,” Anna explained. 

“Can I join you?” Ronen asked. 

“No. It’s getting close to your bedtime, and I’m not sure if I’ll be back early enough to get you to bed in time,” she explained. 

“So you won’t be putting me to bed?” Ronen asked sadly.

“I hope I’ll be back in time to do that, but I can’t promise anything.” Ronen frowned and bowed his head. “Hey. Don’t look so sad,” she said, kneeling down to his level and lifting his chin. Her heart broke seeing his watery brown eyes, but she tried to ignore why that made her heart break. “Your father will be here to put you to bed. And if you ask enough, he might actually do things with you.” 

“Really?” Ronen asked, sniffling. 

“Yes. The first step will be to go into the bedroom and give him the biggest hug you can give him,” Anna whispered. “Do you think you could do that for me?” Ronen smiled and nodded his head. “That’s my boy. Go have fun with your father. I’ll see you later.” 

Ronen ran up the stairs, and Anna smiled as she watched him for a few moments before turning and walking out of the door. If she stayed much longer, she would be late, and she hated being late to things. 

“Okay everyone! I trust you all remember your positions?” Anna heard Yelana call as she walked into the auditorium. “I already have to train a completely new person their parts. I don’t feel like teaching everyone their parts again.” 

“Don’t worry, Mother. I can handle fine tuning these ones,” Elsa said, gesturing to the group on the stage already. Looking over in Anna’s direction, she added, “Looks like your project just arrived.” 

“Ah, yes. 30 seconds late. Which I guess is better than in the past, but could still use some work,” Yelana remarked. 

“Good to see you, too, Yelana,” Anna said with a smile. Yelana tried to stay straight faced, but the edges of her lips shifted upwards in a small smile. 

“We’ve missed you in the theater. It just hasn’t felt the same since you left,” Yelana explained. “These girls need a lot more work and training. And that’s saying something, considering you loved to zone out and miss your cues.” Anna blushed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear at the reminder of her past antics. “Come on. We have a lot to do in such a short time, and a single moment wasted is a moment in the final performance that remains imperfect.” 

“Yes, Madame,” Anna said with a little curtsy. Yelana rolled her eyes, but Anna could see the smile on her face as they walked behind stage to practice Anna’s parts. 

Anna stopped when she saw Kristoff there waiting for her. She didn’t know why seeing him surprised her. He had said he would see her during the practice session. Maybe it was because she was still in shock that he was actually here in America - that they were seeing each other on a regular basis after being apart for a full decade. 

Anna could hear Yelana make some smart remark - something about her not doing all of the training on her own - but Anna couldn’t focus as she just stared at Kristoff. 

“Anna? Are you okay?” Kristoff asked, taking a cautious step closer to her. 

“Hm?” Anna asked as she broke out of her daze. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just a little tired, I guess.” 

“Are you sure you’ll be okay to practice? We don’t have to do it tonight. We can do it in the morning after you’ve rested,” he offered. Anna opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off. 

“She’ll be fine,” Yelana spoke up instead. “We have less than two weeks for her to learn all of her parts. We can’t afford to miss a day of practice.” 

“But does it do much good if she’s not really focusing anyways?” Kristoff countered. Anna butted in before they could argue anymore. 

“I’ll be okay. I don’t know why I was so out of it when I walked in, but I’m fine now. I’m ready for whatever you throw at me,” she said. Kristoff gave her a concerned look like he didn’t entirely believe her, while Yelana smirked like she just won a bet. 

“Mother!” Elsa called from behind the curtain. “Madeline ripped her tutu again. Can you come help her fix it?” 

Yelana sighed. “I’ll be right there,” she called back. In her regular voice, she continued, “I’ll be back shortly. Mister E, lead her through the first song.” 

“Yes, Yelana,” Kristoff said. Anna watched Yelana walk out of the room. She didn’t even realize Kristoff had walked closer to her until he grabbed her hand. Anna jumped a little at the sudden contact, but she didn’t move away. “Hey. Are you sure you’re okay? You seem really distracted.” His free hand reached up and brushed a stray hair away from her face and behind her ear. She loved the physical contact, and subconsciously leaned closer to his hand that was near her face. 

“Yeah. I’m okay,” Anna replied. “Just a little worried about Ronen.” Kristoff’s eyes widened.

“Why? Is he okay? Is he hurt or something?” he asked. Anna’s heart warmed at Kristoff’s concern for her child - a child he barely knew. 

“No! No. He’s not hurt,” she reassured him. Kristoff let out a sigh of relief, and his shoulders relaxed. “It’s just... I’ve never missed putting him to bed. It’s always been a part of my daily schedule since the day he was born. I’m just not sure how well he’ll sleep without me putting him to bed. I don’t even know if Hans will help put him to bed like I asked him to, or if he’ll have to do it himself.” She ran her free hand through her hair. “I know he’s plenty old enough to probably go to bed on time without any issues, but... I don’t know. It’s just part of our routine. It’s one of our special bonding moments. And I might be having trouble accepting how old he is. It sometimes feels like just yesterday I was holding him and nursing him.” 

She got lost in memory lane, and Kristoff stayed silent for a bit as well, only rubbing his thumb in small soothing circles around the back of her left hand. Where had all the years gone? And how might they have been different if she stayed in Arendelle? 

“Ronen’s lucky to have such an amazing mother,” Kristoff commented, breaking the silence. Anna gave him an appreciative look, but didn’t say anything. “What is his bedtime?”

“Well, normally it’s 8. But with the time zone difference, he probably won’t last that long,” she replied. 

“Okay. How about we do an hour of practice, and call it good for the night? It makes Yelana happy that we at least practiced a little, but you still get back home in time to put Ronen to bed,” Kristoff offered. Anna’s head shot up to look at him fully, to see if he meant it. Of course he meant it. He never said anything that he didn’t mean. Anna smiled and nodded.

“Let’s do it!” she exclaimed. “What’s the first song?” 

***

Anna left the theater after an hour of practice, just as Kristoff had agreed to. Yelana seemed to be a little disapproving of her leaving so early, but Anna promised she would be back early the next morning, and that seemed to smooth things over. 

Anna quietly walked into her house. She was hoping Ronen was still awake, but she wanted to surprise him. 

She heard soft piano music flowing through the house, and she smiled. Good. He was still awake, and doing something he enjoyed. 

As she walked through the living room, she heard a snore, and turned around to see Hans asleep on the couch. How long had he been asleep? She had a feeling she would find out once Ronen saw her. 

She slowly opened the door to the piano room, and tiptoed over to her son. The boy was still oblivious to her presence in the room. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he quickly spun around. 

“Isn’t it close to your bedtime, mister?” she playfully corrected. 

“Mama! You made it back!” Ronen exclaimed. He fully spun around on the piano bench and stood up to hug his mother. 

“Yeah. I talked to Mister E about your bedtime before practice, and he let me leave early to make sure we could get our quality time together,” Anna replied. 

“Mister E’s a great guy!” Ronen stated.

“Yes, he is,” Anna said, smiling for different reasons than what Ronen knew about. “Come on. Let’s get you ready for bed.” She offered her hand to him, and he gladly took it, as they walked out of the room together. 

As they walked by Hans, Anna asked, “How long ago did he fall asleep?”

“Um... about half an hour ago,” Ronen admitted as they started walking up the stairs. “I barely got him out of the bedroom. The hug didn’t work quite as well as I thought. And I gave him one of my best bear hugs too!” 

Anna frowned, and looked down at her sleeping husband from the top of the banister. She wondered if there would be anything she could say or do to get Hans to spend more time with Ronen, but she had a feeling the events that transpired here in the last hour were a clear sign there was nothing she could do. 

“I’m sorry, darling. Really, I am,” Anna said. 

“It’s okay. I know it’s not you. I just wish he would play with me more,” Ronen said. “I got him to come downstairs after begging and pleading, but he fell asleep almost as soon as he sat on the couch. That’s when I went into the other room and just started playing the piano.” 

They were in Ronen’s bedroom now. Anna quickly helped him change into comfy pajamas before tucking his legs under the blanket. 

“Well, I have to go into work early tomorrow morning, but you’re welcome to come with me if you would like,” Anna offered. 

“I would love that!” Ronen exclaimed without missing a beat. “That theater is so amazing! And I haven’t even seen all of it yet!” Anna smiled. 

“Yes. It truly is marvelous. Whoever built and designed it did an amazing job,” she agreed. “But for now, it’s time to get some rest.” Almost on cue, Ronen’s mouth opened wide in a yawn. Anna chuckled and brushed his hair back. He was just about to lay down when Anna stopped him. He gave her a confused look. 

“Before you go to sleep, I want you to give me the best bear hug you can do right now,” she said. Ronen grinned and wrapped his arms tightly around her, squeezing a little. Anna wrapped her arms tightly around him as well, and gave him a few kisses on the forehead and cheek. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too, Mama,” Ronen said as they broke from the hug and Ronen actually laid down. Anna pulled the blanket up around him and gave him another kiss on the forehead. 

“Sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning,” she whispered. Ronen gave a small nod, and Anna brushed his hair back one last time before walking out of his room.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna spends another morning practicing while Ronen excitedly watches her.

Anna woke up the next morning before the sun even rose. She assumed that was because of the time zone difference, as it was extremely rare for her to do that back home. Regardless, she was ready to start the new day in the theater. But first, she needed to get dressed. And she needed some food. 

She changed into a more casual green dress. She started to do her two braids, and went to pin them up when she stopped. She dropped the first braid back down, and decided that she liked it better that way. It felt more familiar - more comfortable - to leave her down in two braids. She took one more look in the mirror before turning around. 

She walked out to the hallway and looked over the banister to see Hans was still fast asleep on the couch. She tiptoed her way downstairs, careful not to wake him up. She needed to talk to him about the night before, but he was always grumpy in the mornings, especially if he was woken up unexpectedly. She would wait until after practice today to confront him. 

She went into the kitchen and started cooking scrambled eggs and toast. It was a simple but fancy meal, and one of Ronen’s favorites. 

As she grabbed the ingredients, she briefly questioned if she should make food for her husband. 

“He doesn’t deserve it after last night,” one voice said. “He’ll probably just end up throwing it away because it will be cold by the time he wakes up.” 

“But he’ll be upset if he finds out I made breakfast but didn’t leave him anything,” Anna contradicted with herself. She silenced both voices and made enough food for all three of them. She dished them out on three plates, and tiptoed back upstairs to wake up Ronen. 

The young boy was still sound asleep when she reached his room. He stirred when she turned on the light, but didn’t show any other signs of being awake. 

Anna strode over to the side of the bed and gently sat down on it. “Ronen, darling, it’s time to wake up,” she whispered. “We have to be to the theatre in less than an hour.”

“Can I have five more minutes?” Ronen asked. Anna chuckled. It was comments like that that reminded her how much he took after her. 

“Your breakfast will be cold by then,” Anna objected. “Do you really want a cold meal?” 

“No. I guess not,” Ronen replied. 

“Okay then. Let’s go. I know that past that sleepy brain, you’re really excited to go back to the theater,” Anna stated. “You will actually be able to see me practice as well.” 

“Really?” Ronen asked. He sat upright at that information, a big grin on his face. Anna chuckled.

“Yes, really. Now come on. We don’t want to be late,” she replied. Ronen hopped out of bed and grabbed Anna’s hand. “Oh! But we have to be quiet. Your father is still sleeping on the couch.” Ronen nodded as they quietly walked out of his room and tiptoed down the stairs. 

They ate their breakfast together in silence, with the only noise being the occasional tap of their forks against the plate and Hans’ snores. 

After they were done eating, Anna instructed Ronen to go upstairs and get ready for the day while she worked on the dishes. Ronen nodded, and quietly walked back up to his room. 

After Anna was finished washing the two sets of dishes, she grabbed a blank piece of paper and made a quick note for Hans to let him know where they would be. She folded it in half, wrote his name on the front half, and set it next to his plate on the coffee table. 

Ronen came back down a few minutes later, wearing a gray long-sleeved collar shirt and dark grey slacks. Anna gave him a look of approval. 

“Are you ready?” she asked. He simply nodded. Anna grabbed her music book, and then extended her free hand to her son, who happily took it. 

The theater was alive with people running to and from places when they walked in. 

“Stay right by my side, Ronen,” Anna instructed. Her son nodded as they walked through the crowd to the auditorium where they were yesterday. 

“No! It’s three steps to the right, arabesques croise, and then pirouette!” Elsa shouted as they walked in. Anna looked up to see only one other person on the stage with Elsa. 

“Sorry, Elsa. I’m trying,” she said. 

“Okay. Try it again,” Elsa said. The music began playing again, and Anna watched as Elsa’s student tried doing the moves correctly. 

“That was better, but bend just a little more in the arabesque so that you’re almost perpendicular to the ground,” Elsa said. The platinum blonde turned towards the seating area and smiled when she saw Anna. “Anna, would you mind coming up and showing Madeline how it’s actually done?” 

“I can try, but I haven’t danced in ten years,” Anna admitted. 

“Oh, I’m sure the muscle memory will kick in as soon as you start,” Elsa said. 

“Okay. I’ll be right up there,” Anna replied. Turning to Ronen, she said, “Come on. You’ll get a front seat view of my old job.” The two of them walked to the stage. Anna gestured for Ronen to sit in the first row before walking up onto the stage. 

“Okay. We’ll start the song from the beginning. You can do whatever warmups you need to during that time. I’ll let you know when to start doing that one set of moves,” Elsa explained. Anna nodded, and stood straight with her heels touching and toes pointed outwards. As the music played, Anna began dancing, doing just the basics as she tried to remember what she learned a decade ago. 

It only took about twenty seconds before it was second nature to Anna again, as she just let the music guide her movements. She was so lost in the music, she almost missed Elsa’s instructions.

“Three steps to the right!” Elsa shouted. Anna did that, and then the arabesque croise, and then the pirouette. She landed with one foot crossed behind the other and hands up in the air as everyone cheered. The cheers sounded distant as Anna stayed frozen, trying to catch her breath.

“Splendid! Absolutely wonderful!” Elsa said, coming up to stand beside her. Anna uncrossed her legs and returned to a normal position. 

“I haven’t felt that alive in years,” she admitted. “That was so exciting!” 

“Wait until you sing in front of a full audience again,” Elsa responded with a wink. Anna felt a wonderful mix of nervousness and excitement build inside as she thought about the last time she performed in front of a bunch of people, and what it would be like now on this new stage in this new country. 

“Something that won’t happen if she doesn’t start practicing now,” Yelana interjected. “Come on, Mrs. Westergaard. Mr. E is waiting for you.” 

Anna started to follow, but then remembered she had brought Ronen along today. 

“Ronen!” she called, and gestured for him to come join her on the stage. The young boy did as he was commanded, and ran up onto the stage. Anna could feel his hand grab hers as they walked behind the curtain. 

Kristoff turned in their direction as they entered the backstage area. He had a smile on his face, and Anna felt her chest warm at the familiar greeting as she smiled back. He averted his gaze to see Ronen there as well. Anna noticed Kristoff’s eyes widen a little when he saw Ronen, but they quickly went back to normal, with his cheerful smile on ful display. 

“Great to see both of you here!” Kristoff stated. Looking back at Anna, he continued, “Are you ready for your practice session?” 

“Yeah. I’m ready,” Anna replied. “Is it okay that Ronen’s here too? I just couldn’t leave him home today.” 

“That’s okay. I don’t mind at all,” Kristoff said, looking back at Ronen. “You’re free to look around if you’d like. Just be careful touching things, okay? We don’t need any accidents back here.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful,” Ronen promised. He started to walk away, but looked back up to Anna, silently asking for permission. Anna nodded and he smiled before dashing to the other side of the stage. 

“I really am sorry I had to bring him,” Anna whispered. “But he had a rough night last night with Hans, and I told him he could come to cheer him up.” 

“Hey. It’s okay. Really. I like seeing your boy,” Kristoff replied. “He’s almost the spitting image of you. And he’s so rambunctious, much like you were when I first found you.” Anna smiled as she looked over at Ronen, who was examining some of the trinkets. “Come on. Let’s get to the actual practice.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristoff, Anna, and Ronen spend lunch break together exploring a new place in New York.

~~ Kristoff’s POV~~  


Kristoff and Anna had been practicing the songs for three hours now. Ronen had become bored of looking around after about an hour, so Kristoff decided to keep him occupied by allowing him to play the piano. He played so softly, that it didn’t bother the practice, so Kristoff never stopped him. 

“Okay, everyone! Lunch break!” Yelana shouted from the other side of the curtain, cutting Anna off mid-note. Kristoff and Anna both shared a look at the minor interruption and chuckled. 

“Are you hungry?” Kristoff asked. “We can keep practicing if you want to and take a break later.”

Anna opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it as they both heard a rumbling sound. 

“A lunch break sounds like a great idea,” she said. “Ronen, darling, are you hungry?” 

The piano music immediately stopped as Ronen turned to face his mother. “Yeah. I am.” 

“Okay. Let’s go back home, and see how your father is doing,” Anna said. “Then we can come back in about an hour and continue if you want to come back.” 

“Do we have to go home?” Ronen asked. “We had lunch with Papa yesterday. I want to have lunch with Mister E today. And he promised he would show me more of this town.” The young boy turned to face Kristoff, his eyes wide like a puppy dog’s. He really did take after his mother. 

It was through the puppy eyes, though, that Kristoff noticed Ronen’s eye color. Unlike his mother’s ocean blue eyes, he had brown eyes. Kristoff wondered where those came from in the genes. 

_ ”He has traces of his father.” _

Kristoff wondered if that was one of the traces. Maybe one of Hans’ relatives had that eye color. Kristoff has never met Hans’ family, but he had heard that the man had 12 other brothers, along with his other relatives, so it was very possible that was a Westergaard side of Ronen’s characteristics.

“Please, Mister E?” Ronen pleaded. Kristoff realized he hadn’t responded or even acknowledged that he heard the young boy. He quickly shook it off, and rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin to help play it off.

“I did promise that, didn’t I?” he replied. “I don’t mind showing you a couple of places, but only if it’s okay with your mother. She is the reason why we’re all here after all.”

Kristoff and Ronen both turned and looked at Anna. Kristoff could tell she was trying to have a serious look, but she was cracking under their stares.

“Okay. We can go have lunch with Mister E,” Anna conceded. Ronen let out a shout of excitement and started jumping around. “BUT you must be on your best behavior! And we have to stop by the house before coming back to the theater. Your father won’t like it very much if we’re gone for too long without at least visiting him.”

“Okay. And I promise I’ll be good,” Ronen said. 

“Okay. Let’s get going then,” Kristoff said. “I know the perfect place to go.”

He subconsciously extended his arm out, intending for Anna to grab it. He was surprised when Ronen grabbed it instead, but he didn’t object. Anna grabbed Ronen’s free hand, and they walked off stage and out of the now-empty theater together.

***

He watched as both Anna and Ronen’s eyes lit up as they saw all of the stands along the beach. It had taken a little longer than he expected to get to the Boardwalk, but watching their faces made it worth the wait.

“There’s so much to do!” Ronen exclaimed.

“And so many places to choose from for lunch today,” Anna added.

“Feel free to eat wherever you want,” Kristoff said. “Don’t worry about the cost or anything. I’ll take care of that.”

“Okay, Ronen. Let’s go find something to eat,” Anna said, leading her son towards all the food stands. Kristoff followed a good distance behind so they could have their time together and no one would question anything. He didn’t think his face was well-known yet, but he didn’t want anyone who might know to start a rumor about “Mister E” having an affair with the infamous Anna Westergaard.

“Ooh! Burgers sound delicious right now!” Ronen exclaimed as they were walking by a burger joint.

“Okay. Is that okay with you, Kr—Mister E?” Anna asked, catching herself before she said his real name.

“Burgers sound great,” Kristoff replied with a smile. Anna smiled back, then walked with her son up to the stand.

“Two cheeseburgers, please,” Anna requested. She and Ronen stepped to the side, and Anna looked back at Kristoff, signaling it was his turn.

“You don’t want any fries or drinks or anything?” Kristoff asked Anna as he walked up to the stand.

“Oh. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want you to spend so much just on some food for us. We’ll be alright. And we can stop at home to grab some more food, and-.”

“Anna,” Kristoff cut her off. “I told you not to worry. If you want some more food, order more food.”

“Are you sure?” Anna asked. She could be so stubborn sometimes.

“Your wish is my command,” he simply replied. That seemed to be convincing enough for Anna, as she turned back to the cashier and ordered a large fry for her and the boy to share, as well as two cups of apple juice. Kristoff waited until he was certain they were done before walking up to the stand.

“I’d like a double cheeseburger, with a large order of fries as well, and a large soda,” he requested. “And that should be everything.”

The cashier gave him the total, and he heard Anna audibly gasp. Kristoff pulled out the exact change and added a little extra for tip with ease. The cashier told them it would be about half an hour before the food was ready. Kristoff thanked the cashier before joining Anna and Ronen.

As they walked to find a table, Anna whispered, “That’s more than it ever was in Arendelle.” 

“Really?” Kristoff asked. Even though he and Anna had been to that one restaurant a couple of times, he couldn’t remember what the price of it was. He was surprised she remembered, especially considering she never paid for it. “Huh. Maybe it’s just the currency change or something.”

“Yeah. Maybe,” Anna replied simply. As they were talking, Kristoff noticed Ronen looking over his shoulder at all of the game stands. He didn’t stop walking or let go of Anna’s hand to go to them though, and Kristoff made note of that.

“This looks like a good spot,” Anna said, pointing at a table that was shaded by an umbrella and trees.

“It looks perfect to me,” Kristoff replied. The three of them sat down at the table, and he waited until Anna was distracted with talking to Ronen before digging into his pockets for more change.

“Hey, Ronen,” he said, getting both Ronen’s and Anna’s attention. The boy seemed excited and anxious to have been called on like this. “Since we have some time to kill before we eat, why don’t you go play some games?” He handed Ronen the change, and watched his eyes light up.

“Okay!” Ronen exclaimed, grabbing the change and jumping out of his seat. Before he got too far, though, he turned back to Anna. “Um, is it okay if I go by myself?”

“Yes, darling. Just don’t go too far or get lost,” Anna instructed.

“I won’t!” Ronen shouted as he ran to the stands. Kristoff smiled as he watched the little boy. Even though Ronen wasn’t his son, he was Anna’s, and he deserved to have that joy and excitement in his life.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Anna whispered, even though Ronen was already out of earshot. Kristoff turned his attention to her.

“I know. I wanted to,” Kristoff said. “I saw the way he was looking at the stands as he walked by, but I also saw that you’ve taught him well, because he didn’t run off or even head in that direction. He just stayed with you. I figured that deserved a reward in and of itself. And besides” - he scooted a little closer to her - “this gives us a chance to have some alone time to talk, since we haven’t had a lot of that yet.”

“Oh, okay,” Anna said. “Um... What did you want to talk about?”

“Um... I don’t know. Things about your life. What’s been going on? How have things been with Hans, other than the gambling problems?” Kristoff asked. Anna sighed, and ran her hand over her hair, trying not to mess it up.

“Honestly? Not as great as I thought it would have been,” she admitted. “It was okay at first, when we were all on the boat trip, and I guess he was forced to spend time with us. But as soon as we got back to his home in the Southern Isles, it just turned upside down. I don’t think anyone meant for it to happen. His brothers just started taking him to the bar, and I guessed he loved being there and drinking so much, that he kind of put that above everything and everyone else. Including me and Ronen. The gambling just made things even worse.”

“Have things been any better here?” Kristoff asked.

“No. He’s found a couple of bars already, including the one in your theater. And last night was just an utter mess,” Anna said, burying her face in her hands.

“Oh yeah. You mentioned something about that when you brought Ronen with you this morning. What exactly happened?”

“Hans was supposed to watch Ronen and play with him. You know, like a father should. But... he didn’t. When I got home after practice last night, Ronen told me he had to drag Hans out of bed to come down to the living room and play with him. But apparently as soon as he sat on the living room couch, he fell asleep,” Anna explained. “I’m not worried about Ronen not being able to fend for himself or anything. I know he can. I’ve seen him do it many times. He just... deserves so much more than what Hans is giving him.”

“He deserves to be loved by both his parents,”Kristoff agreed. He reached out and grasped one of Anna’s hands in his own. They were in a secluded place, so he wasn’t too worried about anyone coming over and seeing them like that. “I’m sorry about your husband, but you’re doing an amazing job showing that boy love and joy and happiness. I can see it in the way that he listens to you, and watches you.”

“Thank you,” Anna said, and Kristoff thought he saw her cheeks turning a little more pink than usual. “But enough about me. How was Arendelle doing before you left? Did you happen to try any new milkshakes at that restaurant?”

“Arendelle was doing fine as far as I could tell when I left. Obviously Yelana and Elsa are both here with me, but I think everyone else is still at the Arendelle Opera House,” he answered. Frowning, he continued, “I never did go back to that restaurant though. I couldn’t. It just didn’t feel right to go without you. Nothing felt right without you there. And I know that sounds crazy, but that’s how I felt. Everything reminded me of you, and I couldn’t handle it anymore. So I packed up my bags and started my new life here. Haven’t been back since then.”

“And the mask?” Anna asked, looking over at it.

_You should let others see that._ That line from her letter ten years ago rang in his ears, but he had never gained the courage to do it. 

“I’ve had different masks throughout the years, but I’ve never fully shown anyone what’s beneath it since you left.”

Anna stood up from her seat and stood over him. She placed a gentle hand on his mask.

“May I?” she asked. Kristoff took a quick glance around to make sure no one else was near before nodding. Anna tentatively removed it, and he kept his eyes locked on her expressions as she looked at the scar again for the first time in ten years.

She didn’t say anything, but simply ran her thumb along the scar. Kristoff inhaled sharply at the cold yet familiar touch, and fought against the urge to lean into it in public.

“I still think you should wear your mask less,” she whispered, and Kristoff smiled at her comforting words. “It’s not as hideous as you make it out to be; I promise.”

Still, she handed him back the mask, and he slipped it back on. Anna didn’t move from her spot though. Instead she just stared at him. They held each other’s gaze for what felt like eternity, and Kristoff watched her start gnawing on her bottom lip, as if she was deciding whether or not to say something.

“What is it?” Kristoff asked in a quiet voice. “You know you can tell me anything, right?” Anna nodded, but she still looked hesitant. Kristoff didn’t press her, and instead just waited for her to speak.

“I need to tell you something. About Ronen,” Anna began. But before she could continue, the young boy’s voice was calling for Anna, mentioning that their food was apparently ready.

Just like that, their alone time was over. Anna had jumped back when Ronen called for her, and she ran over to him at the mention of their food being ready. Kristoff was left alone, stunned by what just took place in the last ten minutes, and curious what Anna had to tell him. Sadly, he would have to wait until another day to find that out. That was okay, though; he still had the rest of the day to hang out with them as a group, and he couldn’t be any happier. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Ronen visit Hans after lunch.

~~ Anna’s POV ~~

The three of them ate lunch together, with Ronen holding up the conversation talking about the games he played, and showing off the new teddy bear he got. Kristoff and Anna both congratulated him on the win, but she noticed how Ronen’s eyes gleamed bright when Kristoff said it. 

Anna never did get the chance to tell Kristoff the truth, and he never asked her about it. Part of her was glad they didn’t bring it back up, but she also knew he needed to know the truth. She shut off those thoughts as they cleaned up their things, stood, and walked out of the area. She would tell him another time. 

They walked back to the theater in almost complete silence, other than the occasional comment from Ronen. It wasn’t until they reached the entrance that Anna remembered she needed to go check on her husband. 

“Ronen!” she called. He had started walking up the stairs with Kristoff to walk into the theater, but turned around at the sound of his mother’s voice. “Did you forget the agreement?” 

“Oh. Right,” Ronen said. He looked up at Kristoff. She couldn’t see his expression from her spot, but she thought she saw the corner of Kristoff’s lips turn up in a small smile. 

“Don’t worry. You can come right back after saying hello to your father. I’m sure he would appreciate that,” Kristoff told Ronen. “Go with your mother. I’ll see you shortly.” Ronen nodded and walked down the steps to join Anna. 

Anna wrapped her arm around Ronen’s shoulder and pulled him close as they walked around the building back to their place. 

“Have you been enjoying yourself today?” Anna asked him. Ronen looked up at her and grinned.

“Oh, yes! I’ve been having a lot of fun!” he affirmed. “Mister E is amazing! I wish we could spend more time with him.” 

“Yeah. But it’s good to spend time with your father as well,” Anna noted. 

“I suppose,” Ronen said with a shrug. Anna walked into the house and saw her husband sitting on the living room couch. He looked over in their direction, and Anna offered a smile, but he didn’t return it. Still, Anna felt she had to talk to him, so she walked into the living room and stood next to him. 

“Hey, babe,” she greeted. “Is everything okay?” 

“Remind me again how long we have to stay in this dreadful town?” Hans countered. 

“Uh... Well, I’m not sure,” Anna replied. “I think I heard something about this performance happening in two weeks-.”

“Great. So we can leave this place in two weeks!” Hans exclaimed. 

“What?! Hans, no. We’re not doing this again,” Anna argued. 

“What’s wrong with this place?” Ronen asked from behind them. “I think it’s amazing! There are so many great places and things to do!” 

Hans noticed the prize bear in his arms, and he squinted. “Where did you get that?”

“From one of the game stands at the boardwalk!” Ronen replied with excitement. “Mister E took Mama and I there for lunch. You should try it sometime, Papa! They have some of the best burgers there!” 

Hans turned his gaze to Anna at the mention of Mister E. His glare sharpened, and his eyebrows furrowed at her. Anna took a small step back, but didn’t say anything. 

“Anna darling, can I speak to you privately?” Hans asked, standing up from the couch and gesturing over to the adjoining room. 

“Can we talk about it later?” Anna attempted to get out of the conversation. “I have to get back to the practice, before I’m late.” 

That seemed to make Hans angrier. “No, it can’t wait. Come on.” He grabbed her arm a little too hard and pulled her into the other room. Anna turned around to see Ronen looking worried. She gave him a smile and mouthed “It’s okay” before Hans closed the door. 

“What are you trying to do, Anna?” he asked, his grip never ceasing as they walked to the back of the room, out of earshot for Ronen even if they raised their voices a little. Anna was glad she was still wearing long-sleeved dresses, because she was certain she would have bruises after this. 

“I’m just trying to do my best to earn us money,” Anna replied. 

“By cheating on me?” Hans retorted. 

“What?! No! I promise, I’m not cheating on you,” Anna said. 

“Then why are you spending so much time with this Mister E guy?” he asked, tightening his hold on her arm. Anna’s mouth fell open in a silent cry. 

“He’s the director of this show, and he’s training me. It’s just part of the job,” Anna answered. 

“Taking another man’s wife and son out to lunch wasn’t part of that job, last I heard,” Hans countered. 

“He was just being generous because he knows we don’t really have any money,” Anna replied. “It’s really nothing.” 

“I think there is something. And I think you’re brainwashing our son to like this man as well. I’ve never seen him smile like that before, and to know that somehow this mystery man has makes me mad.” 

It was Anna’s turn to be angry. She knew better than to fight fire with fire, as it never turned out well, but she couldn’t let Hans get away with saying something like that. 

“Maybe you would see him smile more if you actually spent more time with him,” she retorted. 

“What?” Hans snarled. 

“Ronen told me what happened last night after I left. You didn’t even really spend time with him. You fell asleep almost as soon as you sat on the couch. If you had spent even fifteen minutes spending actual time with him and playing with him, I guarantee you would have seen that smile last night,” Anna continued. 

“How dare you?” Hans growled, and pushed her hard against the wall. Anna let out a yelp of pain as her right shoulder made contact with the wall, but Hans ignored it. “You think it’s my fault that I haven’t seen that boy smile? No. I think it’s your fault. You’ve somehow turned my son against me, and that’s why he never smiles like that around me.”

“I promise I never did anything to Ronen to make him hate you,” Anna said. 

“Stop talking,” Hans threatened. “Or we’ll leave this awful town right now. I almost feel like we need to do that anyways, so that we can try to get things back to normal. But I know we need the money. So I’ll let you continue, for now. But if I find out you’ve been double crossing me, we’ll leave here, no ands if or buts about it. And I want to leave once this performance in two weeks is over. You can fight me all you want on that one, but I won that battle ten years ago, and I’ll win it again this time. We’ll figure out a new source of income.” Hans finally let go of Anna, and she collapsed onto the ground. “Go back to your practice, but I expect you to be home in time to make dinner for all of us. No late nights.” 

Anna simply nodded as she slowly stood back up on her feet. Her shoulder burned in pain, but she ignored it as she walked out of the room behind Hans. Hans walked out the back door and disappeared without another word. Ronen looked up at Anna with a quizzical look. 

“Mama? Is everything okay?” Ronen asked. 

“Yes, darling. Everything’s fine.” She noticed the bear sitting on the couch. The last thing she wanted was for that bear to be destroyed or disappear, and Ronen being heartbroken about that. Turning to her son, she said, “Why don’t you go put that away in your bedroom before we go? That way nothing can happen to it.”

“Okay, Mama.” Ronen grabbed his bear and ran upstairs. Anna took the chance to rub her sore arm and shoulder. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to do anything too physical, but she had a feeling that’s exactly what she was getting into, considering she spent the whole morning just learning her singing parts. There had to be a balance between the different parts of the role. 

Anna was still rubbing her arm where Hans had grabbed her when Ronen came back down the stairs. She hadn’t meant to be; she was just so lost in thought, she didn’t realize he was back. 

“Mama?” he called. “Are you sure you’re okay?” 

“Yes, darling. My arm is just a little sore for some reason. There’s nothing to worry about,” Anna replied. She extended her left hand to him, and he grabbed it tentatively. “Let’s go back to the theater.” Ronen smiled and nodded, and they walked there together. 

“There you are!” Elsa exclaimed as they walked into the auditorium. “I was so worried about you! Mister E came back and said you were just checking on your husband, but then you were gone for much longer than a checkup.”

“It’s okay. We’re fine,” Anna assured her, noticing Kristoff looking in her direction and having the same worried expression. She ignored it and turned back to Elsa. “What do we have planned for this afternoon?” 

“I think we need to work on the choreography, if that’s alright with you,” Elsa answered. 

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s fine,” Anna remarked. “Ronen...” The young boy looked up at her. “You can sit in the front row again if you want.” 

“Actually, if you don’t mind, Mrs. Westergaard, I would like to take Ronen upstairs,” Kristoff interjected. Anna bit her lip and played with one braid nervously. If Ronen spent the whole afternoon with Kristoff, that would give him more to be happy about, but also more that Hans could be furious about. But she also didn’t want to prevent her son from having happiness out of fear of what her husband might do. That wasn’t right either. 

She turned to Ronen. She would let him choose. 

“What do you want to do, Ronen? I’ll let you decide,” Anna stated. 

“I would like to spend more time with Mister E,” Ronen announced. Anna sighed, but she tried making it sound like a sigh of relief instead of uncertainty. She knew Hans would never hurt Ronen physically. He would only hurt her if it came to that, and she would take every last blow if it meant her son was happy with “Mister E”. 

“Okay. Enjoy yourself, but don’t be too crazy, okay?” 

“Yes, Mama,” Ronen said. Anna gave him a quick hug and kissed the top of his head before letting him go with Kristoff. 

“Come on. Let’s get you back to your dancing roots!” Elsa said with excitement, grabbing Anna’s left hand with both of hers. Anna smiled and followed her onto the stage.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristoff and Ronen have more bonding time. Things are revealed.

~~ Kristoff’s POV ~~

Kristoff was a little disappointed when he had arrived back to the theater and was given the news from Yelana that Anna would be training with her for the rest of the day, but he wasn’t entirely surprised. However, he did tell Ronen he could come back, and while he was sure Ronen wouldn’t mind watching Anna practice, he wanted to keep the kid entertained. Practices could be long and boring if you weren’t participating in them in some way.

He sat down in one of the auditorium seats while he waited for Anna to return, looking at the stage but not really paying attention to what was going on.

_“There’s something I need to tell you. About Ronen.”_

Kristoff wondered what it was she wanted to tell him. She had clamped up as soon as Ronen called for her, and never brought it up again. Clearly it was a secret. But what about that young boy could be so secretive? He wanted to ask her about it, but he would respect her silence, and wait for her to bring it up again. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to continue coming up with things she might want to tell him about Ronen.

” _He has traces of his father in him.”_

Wait. Was that the big secret?! There was no doubt that Ronen was Anna’s son. There was evidence of that almost everywhere. However, Kristoff saw almost no resemblance to Hans in that boy. Then again, there wasn’t much of a resemblance to him either. Other than maybe the brown eyes, but brown was one of the most common eye colors out there. Could that really have come from him?

He needed answers, but there was no way he was going to pressure Anna. Ronen was coming back though. Maybe he could get some information from him.

Kristoff looked around to see Anna still hadn’t returned. That was odd. Surely saying a quick hello to your husband didn’t take that long? He wondered if he should check up on her. The house wasn’t that far away. But she had also gone there to check up on Hans. Something told him that Hans seeing him would not be good for anyone.

So, as hard as it was, he stayed where he was for the time being.

“Mister E? Do you know where Anna is?” Elsa asked him.

“She should be here soon,” Kristoff replied, not taking his eyes off the auditorium entrance. “She just needed to check on her husband first before returning for practice.”

“Oh, okay,” Elsa said. “I didn’t even realize he was here. I haven’t seen him at all.”

“Yeah. That’s probably for the better for everyone though,” Kristoff stated. He heard Elsa inhale as she went to say something else, but they were interrupted as Anna and Ronen walked into the room. Elsa ran up to her friend, and Kristoff was slightly relieved to know he wasn’t the only one worrying about Anna.

“It’s okay. We’re fine,” he heard Anna say in reassurance. There was something off about her, but he couldn’t place a finger on it. She just didn’t seem as cheerful as she was when they left.

The two women talked about the plans for the rest of the day. Kristoff interjected when Anna was talking to Ronen. He had other plans for that boy.

“If you don’t mind, Mrs. Westergaard” - it was so weird to say her last name - “I’d like to take Ronen upstairs.”

Anna hesitated. She started biting her bottom lip again, and he became even more worried about her. Something was definitely off, but he wasn’t going to create a scene in front of Elsa or anyone else, so he kept his mouth shut.

Anna asked Ronen what he wanted to do, and Kristoff’s heart swelled when the young boy looked up at him with gleaming eyes and said he wanted to spend time with “Mister E”. He smiled, but didn’t move until Ronen came up to him after his embrace with his mother.

They stayed silent on the way out of the auditorium, but Ronen was quick to talk once they exited.

“Why did you want me to come upstairs with you?” Ronen asked.

“I know how boring it can be to watch practices, and I figured you would have more fun with the piano in my room,” Kristoff replied.

“Really?!” Ronen exclaimed. “That’s so great! I’m excited.” Kristoff smiled. So much like his mother.

“Tell me, Ronen,” Kristoff said as they walked up the stairs. “How old are you, exactly?”

“I’m nine years old,” Ronen replied. “I turned nine about three months ago.”

Three months prior... That would have been July. Anna had left in October ten years ago. There was a chance that Ronen was his child, but that had just been one night. Surely it would be more likely that she had slept with Hans not long after, and the boy was really Hans’ child. There was no way Ronen could be Kristoff’s child.

A small tug on his arm pulled Kristoff back into reality, and he realized that he hadn’t responded to Ronen.

“I see,” Kristoff replied, trying to act like nothing happened. “Nine is a great age to be. Kind of like the halfway point between childhood and adulthood.”

“Huh. I never thought of it that way,” Ronen said, now thinking deeper about it. Kristoff chuckled.

“It’s not common for kids to think things like that,” he replied. “Unless they’re really focusing on something they can do when they’re an adult.” He opened the door to his bedroom, and smiled as he watched Ronen run to the piano.

“Is this the play Mama is part of?” the boy asked, opening the music book. “I haven’t had a chance to look at it fully.”

“Yeah, that’s my copy of it,” Kristoff replied.

“There’s a lot of writing in it outside of the lyrics,” Ronen noted.

“Those are my special notes. Notes about what’s happening in a scene, or what the scene symbolizes, or little changes I made before giving everyone else the sheet music,” Kristoff explained.

“Is this how you have written all of your musicals?” Ronen asked.

“Yes. It’s how all of the greats write their music, really,” Kristoff replied.

“That’s so cool. I’ve never tried making my own music, but I would love to someday... Like you and Mama have.”

“I’m sure if you really put your mind to it, you could. It just takes a lot of time and energy,” he answered. Ronen’s lips twisted into a frown as he looked at the sheets.

“I don’t recognize a lot of these markings,” he noted, pointing at the lines and the dots around the chords.

“Oh. Those are more advanced techniques. You’ll learn them as you progress in learning music,” Kristoff replied. “Here. How about I grab you a blank book, and you can start writing your own music?” He turned to look for a blank book in his closet, making sure not to reveal the box of unsent letters.

“I don’t know how to,” Ronen said.

“I’ll show you then,” Kristoff remarked. He finally found a blank book and walked back over to the piano. He sat down on the bench, noticing Ronen scoot over a little to provide him more space. “Let the music guide you. Start playing some notes, and I’ll show you how to write it in the book.”

“Okay.” The Young Westergaard hovered his fingers over the keys, and started to play a melody, letting the music guide him as Kristoff had instructed. After playing a few chords, Kristoff stopped him.

“Okay. It’s important not to get too far without writing it down. Otherwise you’ll forget, and that will be even worse than taking a break,” he explained. “Now, here’s how to write the notes on paper.”

They continued this process for about ten minutes. Ronen became more excited with each added section, and it made Kristoff happy to see the boy so happy.

While Kristoff was adding the last measure Ronen had played, the young boy hit him with a surprise question.

“Mister E... Why do you wear a mask?” he asked. Kristoff inhaled sharply and pulled away from the book.

“To hide what lies underneath,” he responded simply.

“Why?” Ronen asked.

“Because people have been scared by it before, and I don’t like to scare people,” Kristoff replied, not looking at Ronen.

“Can you take your mask off for me, please?” Ronen asked. Kristoff looked over at him, and realized too late that it was a big mistake. He forgot about this kid’s ability to do the puppy eyes. And he really couldn’t say no to such a polite and formal question anyways.

“Okay. But try not to freak out when you see what’s underneath, okay?”

“Okay.”

Kristoff stood up so Ronen could see him fully. He slowly brought his hands up to his mask, and took it off. It had been awhile since he showed someone new his scar, but he let Anna’s confident and comforting words from an hour ago help guide him to do it.

He locked eyes at Ronen, and watched as the little boy’s mouth opened a little, and his eyes widened. Kristoff couldn’t tell if it was from fear or not, and he didn’t have time to find out as a hurried knock sounded at his door.

He quickly put the mask back on and ran over to the door.

Elsa was standing there, breathing heavily.

“Elsa? Is everything okay?” Kristoff asked.

“No. There was an incident on stage,” Elsa said, struggling to catch her breath. “Anna’s injured.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna is injured. Yelana and Kristoff try to help her.

~~ Anna’s POV ~~

Anna had really tried ignoring the pain in her shoulder as she practiced choreography. Of course it would be today that they practiced all the twirling and complex dance moves. 

She had almost forgotten about the pain when Elsa instructed everyone to do the hardest move yet: the guys were to pick up Anna and carry her on their shoulders for a big entrance in the second act. 

Two of the men stood on either side of Anna, a couple paces in front of her. She tried preparing herself for the lift as the men bent down and she climbed onto their shoulders. She was just getting settled and about to grab the guys’ shirts for a hold when they suddenly lifted. Unprepared and without the proper support, Anna ended up falling backwards, and her injured shoulder made contact with the stage floor. She barely had let out a cry when everyone ran up to her to see how badly she was hurt. Elsa was the first one to reach her. 

“Anna! Are you okay?!” the dance instructor asked. 

“Yeah. It was just a fall. I’ll be okay,” Anna said. She tried to lift herself up, but the pain surged back through her arm, and she collapsed again. 

“Anna, you’re not okay. You need looked at. Mother!” Yelana appeared from behind the curtain to see what the commotion was about. “Can you take Anna to the medical room?” 

“What happened to her?” Yelana asked, lifting Anna up carefully. 

“The guys dropped her, and she fell on her shoulder. I don’t know how bad the damage is, though.”

“Okay, Mrs. Westergaard,” Yelana said. “Let’s get you taken care of.” Anna heard her grumble something about how this would now put them behind, and heard Elsa yell something about finding Mister E to let him know. 

Anna froze. Kristoff couldn’t find out she was injured. He would ask more questions than she was comfortable answering. 

“Wait, Elsa!” she cried, but Elsa was already off the stage. Anna sighed. This wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation for any of them. Yelana guided her to the medical room, and Anna reluctantly followed. 

“Okay. I can’t see the damage with all of these layers,” Yelana said after they walked into the room and closed the door. “I’ll need you to change into a medical gown.” She pointed to the corner where there was one hanging. Anna sighed and walked over to it. She tried reaching behind her, but the pain in her shoulder intensified, and she let out a hiss. “That doesn’t sound good at all. Let me help you change so I can better assess the situation.” Anna simply nodded as Yelana started untying the strings of Anna’s dress. 

When everything was untied, she slowly pulled the sleeves off Anna’s arms. Anna stepped over the dress as it fell on the ground, leaving Anna in her undergarments. Yelana examined her body while she stood there, ghosting her fingers over her injured shoulder where Anna was sure there were bruises. 

Yelana examined her body more, and paused when she noticed the bruises on Anna’s wrist. She didn’t say anything, though, as she stepped away and grabbed the medical gown. Anna stepped into the gown like she had stepped out of her dress. Yelana was gentle with pulling the sleeves up on her arms and tied the gown together. 

No sooner had Yelana finished tying the gown, then Kristoff and Ronen ran into the room in a panic. 

“Are you okay, Mama?” Ronen asked as he ran up to her. Anna kneeled down to meet his embrace and hugged him. 

“Yes, darling. I’m fine. I just fell on stage. It’s really not as bad as everyone’s making it out to be right now,” Anna replied. 

“Are you sure?” Ronen asked, pulling from the embrace slightly to make eye contact with her. Anna half-smiled and brushed his hair out of his face. He was way too sweet for this world. 

“Yes darling, I’m sure. Its really not the first time I’ve fallen on stage. I used to be a major klutz when I was younger,” she stated with a little chuckle. Ronen laughed as well as they hugged again. Anna looked over Ronen’s shoulder to see Kristoff still standing a good distance away, but looking as concerned as before. “Really. I’m fine. You can go back to what you were doing before if you would like. Madame Yelana here will take good care of me.” 

“Okay.” Ronen broke from the embrace and walked back over to Kristoff. Kristoff didn’t take his eyes off Anna for a long while, and Anna tried to give him a reassuring smile as Ronen pulled him out of the room. 

Yelana moved Anna over to the chair to further examine the injury. The lightest touches were making Anna wince, and she tried to bite her lip to resist letting out a sharp cry. 

“How bad is it?” 

Anna’s eyes shot open at the sound of Kristoff’s voice. Surely she had just imagined it. Surely he was actually somewhere else, keeping Ronen distracted. But when she opened her eyes, she saw him standing by the door, but he had closed it so it was just the three of them. 

“I thought you were going to help distract Ronen?” Anna asked before Yelana could answer. 

“I left him with Elsa. I know he’s in good hands with her. Besides, he probably doesn’t want to spend anymore time with me after what happened just before we came down here,” Kristoff explained. Anna’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the last line, but Kristoff left her no time to ask anything. “And I want to make sure you’re really okay.” 

“Yes! I’m fine. I don’t know why everybody’s treating me like a baby right now. It was just a fall, and I landed in a weird way, but it’s nothing that won’t heal within a day.” 

“Actually,” Yelana interjected. “Judging by the pain you’re in from me just brushing my fingers against the injury, I think it’s a separated shoulder.” 

“What does that mean?” Kristoff asked. 

“The muscles and tendons are stretched in an unusual way that they’re now strained, which is why she’s in so much pain. I can’t tell how severe the injury is, but it will take at least a week for it to heal properly. Which of course will put us behind schedule,” Yelana explained. She let out a long sigh. 

“I can work through this. It’s just a minor shoulder injury. I’ll be fine,” Anna exasperated. 

“Mm. We’ll see about that,” Yelana said. “Now, extend your arm for me so I can put it in a sling.” Anna stiffened, and she pulled away from Yelana, holding her arm close to her body and looking down at the ground. “Mrs. Westergaard, please don’t resist. That will make things harder for all of us.” 

“I don’t need a sling. I’m sure it will heal on its own. Can I please just go back to practice? Really, I’m okay,” Anna pleaded. The room fell silent. Anna curled in a little more as she could feel the tension grow in the room. 

“Yelana, would you mind giving the two of us a few minutes alone?” Kristoff asked. Yelana nodded and walked out of the room without another word, shutting the door behind her. 

Anna kept her gaze on the floor. She didn’t move when Kristoff called her name, or walked over to her, or even when he grabbed her hand. It was only when Kristoff lifted up her chin and forced her to look at him that she finally lifted her gaze. 

“Anna? What’s going on? You’ve been acting different ever since you came back from visiting your husband. Did something happen?” he asked, voice and expressions filled with worry. 

“Nothing that you need to be concerned about,” Anna responded. “Really, it’s okay. I just... I can’t wear the sling. If I wear it, Hans may think...” _That I’m faking how bad the injury is, and he may punish me more._ She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn’t say that to Kristoff. She didn’t want him to get in the middle of anything. Instead, she continued her previous sentence with “He may think this job is too dangerous and take us back home. And I don’t want to leave.” 

Kristoff stayed silent for a few seconds as he studied her face. Anna didn’t know if he was searching to see if she was telling the truth, or maybe looking for the deeper answers that she wasn’t giving him. Anna knew she used to be an open book, but she wondered if he would be able to know everything just from looking at her face right now. 

“Okay,” he said, finally breaking the silence and nodding in understanding. Anna let out a sigh of relief. “Okay. I’ll talk to Yelana and see if maybe there’s something else you can do at home to help heal that, and you can just wear the sling here. How does that sound?” 

“That sounds great,” Anna said, smiling for real for the first time since she came back from lunch. “Thank you.” 

“Of course,” Kristoff said. Anna expected him to walk away, but he didn’t move. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on hers. “Hey. I know it’s probably none of my business what happens with you and your husband behind closed doors, and I have no clue if this injury was partly because of him or not, but you should know that you can tell me anything. If you don’t want me to act, just tell me, and I won’t act. But I can’t just sit around seeing you so upset and not knowing what’s wrong. Okay?” Anna nodded, but Kristoff gave her a look that told her he didn’t believe it. 

“I’ll tell you when I’m ready. I promise,” she said. Kristoff seemed to like that answer a little more, as he gave her hand a squeeze before walking out of the room. Anna used her good hand to run her fingers through her hair to destress. There were so many things she wanted to tell Kristoff, but she didn’t know where to start. She thought about how angry Kristoff would become if he ever found out that Hans did physically injure her. Would it be as bad as when he found out she was about to leave after the ball? Would it be worse than that? What if Hans found out she told someone?

She shook her head. There was no point thinking about that. She wouldn’t say anything to anyone. Not yet. 

Yelana and Kristoff walked back into the room, and Anna decided to focus on them to take her mind off everything else. 

“Mister E told me about your concerns,” Yelana stated. “I think I’ve come up with a solution for you. You can wear the sling here, and take an ice pack home with you to hold on your shoulder when you can. How does that sound?” 

“That sounds like a plan,” Anna said. Yelana smiled. 

“Okay. Well, since we still have you for a few hours, let’s work on putting a proper sling on you,” she said. Anna extended her arm as far as it would go without being painful, and Yelana set to work.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Kristoff finally discuss things.

Three days had passed since the fall. Anna’s shoulder was healing - she could lift it a little without it hurting - but it was taking an excruciatingly long time to fully heal. She was already tired of wearing the sling. She wondered if part of that was just because she put a new one on every time she entered the theater, and removed it before she left each time. It was such a tedious process, but she didn’t want to take any risks with Hans overreacting when he saw it. 

This injury also meant she couldn’t do much choreography. They couldn’t lose time in practices for the show, though, so Yelana had her focus more on memorizing her lines. Which meant she was spending a lot more time with Kristoff in the process. Anna tried to be happy about it. She did like spending time with Kristoff, after all. More than anything, really. But her husband’s words kept coming back to her mind every time Kristoff so much as touched her hand, and even though she tried not to react negatively, she could tell by his worried expressions that she wasn’t hiding it very well. 

That day, Anna was reciting a more complex song, so she did what she normally did when she sang: she got lost in the music and let it guide her. She shut out all reality and just imagined being on the stage. It was usually easier to do it this way, as she didn’t really have to think hard about what word came next. It just came naturally to her. 

She was so lost in the song and music, that when someone placed their hand on her shoulder, she jumped and nearly fell over. 

“Whoa! Calm down. It’s just me,” Kristoff said, grabbing both of her arms - being extremely gentle with the right arm - and helped her to stand upright on her two feet again. 

“Sorry. I just got lost in the music. I didn’t even hear you come up to me,” Anna stated. 

“Anna, you’ve been jumpy lately, and it’s not just when you’re singing,” Kristoff noted. Anna averted her eyes to the floor. “Anna?” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but she didn’t say anything. “Listen, I know you said you would tell me when you were ready, but if there’s something I need to stop doing, I need to know now. You don’t have to tell me why. But I don’t like making you jump, and I don’t know what’s causing it.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you feel like you’re doing something wrong. My husband’s just put a crazy idea in my head, and I can’t seem to shake it,” Anna explained. Kristoff’s hand on her left arm lowered until they were holding hands and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Anna looked down at their joined hands for a few seconds before pulling her hand out of his. Kristoff pulled away like he had been burned, and Anna forced herself to make eye contact with him. There was so much hurt in his eyes, and she wished she could take it back - be close and joined to him again. But she remembered what Hans said about taking her home if he found out she was double-crossing him, and she didn’t know what he would read as her double-crossing him. 

“I’m sorry. I really don’t want to hurt you. Please believe me when I say that. But for now, can we refrain from any touches or hand holding?” Anna asked. “I don’t want my husband to get the wrong idea and take Ronen and I away before the performance.” 

“He’s not here,” Kristoff reasoned. “He would never know about what happens here.” 

“I know. I know you’re probably right. But I don’t want to take any chances. Not right now. Please understand,” Anna begged. “I don’t think it will be for very long, but just for now, no physical contact. Can we do that?” 

“If that’s what will help you, then your wish is my command,” Kristoff said. 

“Thank you, Kristoff,” Anna said. Kristoff gave a curt nod before walking over to his piano. They continued through the rest of the day with only the sounds of the piano and Anna’s singing voice filling the air. 

This arrangement only lasted about two days. The silence was hurting Anna more than anything. She felt like she needed to tell someone about what was going on, and Kristoff would be the only one who really understood. She had to be careful about how she did it, though. 

Thanks fully, she found the perfect opportunity, as Hans announced at dinner that he would be leaving for the bar and may not be back until morning. Anna didn’t even bother arguing with him this time. 

She waited a few minutes after Hans walked out of the door to make sure he was truly gone before she started to clean everything up and worked on getting Ronen ready for bed. 

“Do I have to go to bed so early? I’m not even tired,” Ronen complained. 

“Well, if you can’t sleep, that’s okay. You can stay in your bedroom. I just want to make sure you’re in your pajamas so you don’t accidentally fall asleep in your day clothes,” Anna stated. 

“Are you going somewhere?” Ronen asked. 

“Yes. I’m going back to the theater to talk to Mister E about some things,” Anna answered as she got his bed prepared for him to crawl in. 

“Can’t I come with you?” Ronen asked. 

“I’m afraid you can’t this time, darling. We have some personal matters to attend to,” Anna explained. 

“I miss seeing him. It feels like it’s been forever,” Ronen said as he climbed onto his bed. 

“It’s only been a couple of days,” Anna corrected as she pulled the blanket up around him. “But I understand what you mean. I promise you can come back to work with me tomorrow, but you have to be good for me and go to sleep at a decent time. Can you do that for me?” Ronen nodded, and Anna wrapped her good arm around him in a hug and kissed her forehead. “Thank you. I’ll see you when you wake tomorrow. Sleep well, and sweet dreams.” 

“Good night,” Ronen said. Anna gave him a kiss on the cheek and ran her fingers through his hair one last time before walking out of the bedroom. 

She walked into her room, grabbed a jacket, and carefully put it on her good arm. She tried to also put it on her bad arm, but it was too painful, so she settled with just having it wrapped around her body. 

She had cautiously stepped outside, making sure to take a good look around to make sure Hans hadn’t lied to her and was actually just waiting around for her. When she was sure the coast was clear, she ran across the field to the theater. 

It was completely empty in the main areas, just as she expected it to be. She quietly walked up the stairs to Kristoff’s room. The door was closed, and she couldn’t tell if the light was on in the room. Maybe he had already gone to sleep. It had been a long week, after all. She considered just turning around and waiting until some other day to talk to him. But when would she get another chance? Hans was watching her like a hawk at night, and it wasn’t something she wanted to discuss during the day when Yelana or Elsa or anyone else could just barge in and hear something. 

She decided to at least knock. If Kristoff didn’t answer, she would just go back home and pretend nothing happened. 

She did her signature knock, and waited a minute for anything to happen. She couldn’t even hear the faintest rustling, and figured he was probably in a sound sleep. She sighed and began walking back to the staircase. She was just about to step down to the first stair when she heard a voice. 

“Anna?” She turned around at the sound of her name to see Kristoff standing in the hallway, hair a little messier than usual and clothes barely on right. 

“Hey,” she said. 

“Hey,” he echoed. “What are you doing here so late?” 

“I wanted to talk to you,” Anna admitted as she walked back over to him. 

“Oh,” Kristoff said, his expression turning from confusion to understanding. “Okay. Come on in.” Anna smiled and walked into his bedroom.   
She took a good look around the room for the first time. It wasn’t exactly like the one back in Arendelle, but it had some of the same looks to it, especially with the bed being right next to the window. 

“You know, I was wanting to talk to you as well,” Kristoff stated, breaking Anna out of her thoughts. She turned to see him close the bedroom door. It was far from the first time they had been alone together, but this felt different. She tried shaking off why it felt different. She wasn’t here for that kind of different. 

“Oh really? What were you wanting to talk about?” Anna asked. Kristoff shook his head. 

“Uh uh. You came here. You get to talk first,” Kristoff said. Anna nodded and took a deep breath. 

“You were right,” she began. Kristoff tilted his head to the side and gave her a confused look but said nothing as she continued. “You were right about my shoulder injury. That day when I went to see how Hans was doing after lunch, he became a little more violent than I expected.” She removed the coat off her right arm and extended it as far as it would go to show Kristoff the remaining evidence of the bruises from that day. She heard him inhale sharply at the sight, but she continued with her story. “I didn’t help anything by saying something I shouldn’t have. It made him so furious, he shoved me into the wall, putting pressure on the right shoulder. I think I still would have been hurt from the fall anyways, but that certainly didn’t help with any of it.” 

“What was he so upset about?” Kristoff asked. 

“You,” Anna replied, and Kristoff shifted from surprise. “Well, I guess not you specifically. He doesn’t know who you are. He just knows you as Mister E. But you’ve been taking such great care of Ronen, he can hardly stop talking about you. He showed Hans the teddy bear he had won, and he was so happy about it.... And Hans became jealous, but he blamed me for it.” 

“Wait, blamed you for what?” Kristoff asked.

“He thinks - he thinks I brainwashed Ronen somehow, to make Ronen like you more than Hans. He can’t deal with taking the blame for his own choices and mistakes, so he pins it all on me.” 

“Oh, Anna,” Kristoff began, walking towards her as if to hug her, but he stopped halfway and wrapped his arms tightly across his chest instead. 

“It’s okay.” Anna wrapped her jacket back over her right arm and pulled it close to her. “I’ve been dealing with it for the last five years at least. I just wish... I wish he could be a better father for Ronen,” Anna said. “Be a role model, like you have been. My son loves you.” 

“Mm. That may have been true before, but I doubt that’s the case anymore. Not after what I showed him that day you got injured.” 

“What are you talking about?” Anna asked. She meant to continue and tell him about the conversation she had with her son before she came here, but Kristoff started talking instead. 

“He was so curious about why I wore the mask. I tried to fight against it, but he kept pushing, so I showed him,” Kristoff explained. He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. “You should have seen the absolute look of horror in his eyes. He looked at me like I was some sort of monster.” 

“That’s not true,” Anna objected.

“You weren’t there, Anna,” Kristoff countered. “I think his reaction was even worse than your initial reaction to it.” 

“You’re right. I wasn’t there to see his reaction, but I have talked to him a few times since then. In fact, I just had a conversation with him before I came here tonight. He was just talking about how he missed spending time with you,” Anna explained. Kristoff scoffed. 

“You’re making that up to try and make me feel better,” he said. 

“What? Why would you think I’m making that up?” Anna asked. “Kristoff, when have I ever lied to you?” 

“I don’t know. But it seems like you’ve told a few lies since you came to America,” he remarked. Anna was taken aback by that comment, jaw dropping open. 

“What are you talking about Kristoff? I don’t remember lying to you once, ever!” 

“I’m mainly talking about the first night when we reunited for the first time in ten years. You had made me feel special, when you said that you wouldn’t have done the deed with just anyone. But guess what? I’ve done the math for when Ronen was born, and what nine months before that would have been. It puts it within a week after you left Arendelle. Which means you didn’t wait long after leaving to do the deed with Hans.” 

Anna was frozen for a few moments, unable to speak after Kristoff’s wild accusation. 

“I can’t believe you,” she finally said. Kristoff raised an eyebrow. “You did all that math, and yet somehow you missed the truth of the whole situation.” 

“What do you-?” Kristoff began, but Anna cut him off. 

“Ronen is _your_ son,” she announced. It was Kristoff’s turn to be shocked, and he took a step back as the full force of it hit him. Anna didn’t give him time to recover as she continued. “Hans and I waited until we were married a month after leaving Arendelle to sleep together. It was so hard to keep the truth from Hans; to hide the sickness until it had been an appropriate time. I lied to him and his whole family, telling them Ronen was born a month early to cover the secret that my marriage forbid. So yes, I have lied before, but I have never ever lied to you!” 

“I have a son,” Kristoff whispered, still trying to wrap his mind around it. “Ronen’s my son... Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” 

Anna snorted and rolled her eyes. “How did you expect me to tell you, Kristoff? I was on a ship alone with Hans for the first five years. If I tried sending you any letters, he would have become suspicious, and that would not have ended well for anyone. And besides, I didn’t know if you wanted anything to do with me after you left me.” 

“Wait, what?” Kristoff asked. “When did I ever leave you?”

“The morning after we had that special night. I had told you that Hans was coming to get me the next day, and you promised you would help me fight against him to stay. And yet, when I woke up the next morning, you were nowhere to be found. I looked high and low for you, but couldn’t find you anywhere. I thought maybe you hated me, or just didn’t want me around anymore. Writing to you just to say ‘hey, by the way, I just had a child, and he’s yours’ seemed like the dumbest thing ever.” 

Kristoff whispered something under his breath that Anna couldn’t quite catch. 

“What did you say?” she asked. Kristoff ran his hand though his hair and sighed. 

“I went to buy doughnuts that morning,” he began to explain. “After such a special night with you, I wanted to do something special for breakfast.” Anna inhaled as she slowly understood where this was going, but she remained quiet as he continued. “You had mentioned he was coming to get you. You never said he was coming first thing the next morning. I thought we would have more time together. I didn’t realize how wrong I was about that until I got back home, and Elsa told me you had already left. I tried running after you, but I had a late start. By the time I had made it to the docks, it was too late. The boat was too far away for you to even hear my voice.” 

Tears were already streaming down Anna’s face by this point, but they came full force when she saw a single tear roll off his cheek. 

“I guess we both got the short end of the stick that day,” she whispered. 

“Yeah, we did,” Kristoff agreed. “But at least you had something that reminded you of me, in a good way.” 

“In a good way?” Anna replied incredulously. “Yes, I love Ronen more than anything in this world, but I never saw him as a good reminder of you. Do you have any idea how hard it was to look in his eyes - those beautiful brown eyes that he clearly got from you - and be reminded of you, knowing there was a chance I would never see you again? Knowing there was a chance that Ronen would never meet his real father? It was the worst kind of pain I’ve ever felt.” 

Kristoff didn’t wait for her permission as he wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry into his shirt. Despite the tears, Anna didn’t stop talking. 

“And that night when we first saw each other here in America, and you said you thought our life would be better without you.... I wanted to yell at you about how wrong you were about that. Because Ronen especially needs a good father. He needs to know what it’s like to be loved by his father. Hans doesn’t show him that at all. That’s actually why Hans pushed me against the wall and injured my shoulder, because I accused him of not spending enough time with Ronen.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Kristoff whispered. “I should have been there. I was foolish to have ever left your side that day ten years ago. We could have had an amazing life together.”

“We could have,” Anna agreed. “But it’s all in the past now. I guess it doesn’t really matter. I am glad to see Ronen enjoying spending so much time with you. That does put a smile on my face and warms my heart.”

“Does Ronen know the truth?” Kristoff asked. Anna shook her head. 

“No. He doesn’t even know you and I have a history. He thinks we just met a couple weeks ago,” Anna replied. 

“Oh. That’s right,” he replied. They didn’t say anything more for a few minutes as they just enjoyed being in each other’s embrace. “So what do we do now?” 

“I don’t know,” Anna admitted. “I guess just go back like everything’s normal? I mean, there’s not a lot more I can do when I’m still married.” 

“Why are you so insistent on staying with him?” Kristoff asked. “After he’s already hurt you as much as he has.” 

“It hasn’t been that bad, really,” Anna said, trying to brush it off. “Besides, I need to think about what’s best for Ronen.”

“How is staying with Hans the best thing for our boy?” Kristoff asked. Anna felt a pang in her chest at Kristoff calling Ronen their boy. “You said yourself he doesn’t spend any time with Ronen.” 

“He doesn’t, but divorces are always so traumatic for kids. I don’t want Ronen to be changed because of it.” 

“Even if it was a change for the better?” 

“If I was certain that’s all it would be was a change for the better, I would do it in a heartbeat. But I don’t know how he will react to it.”

“Something tells me you’re not talking about Ronen anymore,” Kristoff observed. Anna pulled away and walked towards the window. 

“He pushed me into a wall because I merely said he didn’t spend enough time with Ronen. Who’s to say what he would do to me or Ronen if I told him I wanted to break off the marriage?” She shook her head. “I can’t. Not yet. Not until I figure out a backup plan of some sort.” 

“Can I help at all?” Kristoff asked. Anna turned around and gave him a sad smile. 

“You’ve done more than enough already, with offering me this job and taking care of our son whenever he’s here,” Anna replied. “I don’t know if there’s much else I need you to do for us.” She walked back over to him. “Thank you for being such a great listener tonight. And I’m glad that you know the truth about Ronen now. I’ve been dying to tell someone for almost a decade now. It’s fitting that you were the first to know the truth.” She raised up her left hand and rested it against his covered cheek. He had never taken off the mask in the whole exchange. 

“Ronen should be the next one to know the truth,” Kristoff suggested. “You should tell him the truth.” 

“I’ll tell him when the time is right,” Anna said decisively. She pulled the mask away from his face. He was probably going to take it off after she left the room anyways, so she figured there was no harm in removing it just a few minutes early. “And I did mean what I said: About Ronen wanting to spend more time with you. He’s not afraid of you like you think he is. You’ll see tomorrow when he comes back here with me.” She ran a finger over the scar, and then ran a gentle hand down the side of his face, getting used to the feel of his scruffy beard. Kristoff cupped her hand with his and turned his head slightly to give her palm a tender kiss. He kept his eyes locked with hers as he did so, and Anna bit her bottom lip. She wanted to feel his lips on hers. It had been too long since she had been able to feel that, and she wondered what it would be like to kiss him now that he had a beard. 

Kristoff’s free hand cupped her cheek, and that’s what brought Anna back to reality. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t do any of this. She was still married. It was wrong. 

She pulled away, much to Kristoff’s disappointment, but she ignored it as she gave him a forced smile. 

“I better get back home before Hans comes back and realizes I’m missing. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.” 

She barely caught Kristoff’s echoed “Good night” as she ran out of the room and closed the door behind her.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristoff processes everything that just happened.

~~ Kristoff’s POV ~~

Kristoff stayed frozen for a long minute after Anna left the room. So much had happened in that short span of time. He could hardly wrap his mind around it. 

The biggest piece of information stood out in his mind: He had a son. Ronen was his son. He and Anna had a child together. 

He stumbled over to his bed and sat down as his brain fully wrapped around the truth. 

That sweet, precious, innocent little boy was his own flesh and blood. When he really thought about it, the signs were all pointing in that direction. He just hadn’t really looked, and what he had seen he had refused to believe. 

As he thought more about it, he realized he had become just like his birth father: He had left Anna to take care of Ronen alone. Granted, it was a completely different situation; he didn’t know Anna was pregnant, and he hadn’t done it on purpose. It didn’t stop him from feeling sick to his stomach as he realized he became the man he never wanted to be. 

_You’ve been taking such great care of Ronen. He can hardly stop talking about you. He misses spending time with you._

Anna’s words rang in his ears. He was glad to hear those things. To know he had such an impact on the child in such a short amount of time. He wondered what Ronen would be like if he had been able to be there since the day he was born. Unfortunately, that wasn’t how things worked out, so he had to settle for these moments he had now. And he had to make the most of them. Who knew how much time he would have left with him and Anna. 

His heart ached at the thought of Hans taking Anna away again. And this time, Hans would also be taking his son away from him. That part made him a little angry. Now that he knew Ronen was his son, not Hans’, he felt Hans shouldn’t be able to make those decisions. But Hans had also been in that father role for almost ten years. Hans’ name was most definitely the one on Ronen’s birth certificate. There would be no way to prove that was incorrect. 

Kristoff ran his fingers through his hair. He had to think of some way to get Anna and Ronen to stay, while preferably also sending Hans back to the Southern Isles. 

He cringed at the memory of the bruises on Anna’s arm. Who would ever do that to the one they loved? He never did understand that. He didn’t understand it when his mom whipped him, and he didn’t have any more understanding of it now. 

Had Hans been doing that this entire time? When did it start? Did it start as soon as the two of them boarded that boat that took Anna away from Arendelle forever? Anna had said she had been dealing with it for at least five years, but that didn’t mean there weren’t instances before that. 

Part of him wanted to know the answers to those questions, but he also had a feeling the answers would only make him feel worse. 

He should have stayed. He should have fought for her to stay in Arendelle. He should have done more. If he had, she wouldn’t be in an abusive relationship, and they would have been able to have a happy life in Arendelle. A happy life with his son. With _their_ son. 

They could still have that. He just needed to figure out how to help Anna out of her situation. But how?

He needed some fresh air. There were too many thoughts going through his head, and he would never get sleep at this rate if he didn’t take a walk. 

He grabbed a coat and his mask that covered the bottom half of his face and quietly walked out of the theater. 

It was chilly out, but the cold air was refreshing. Really, it was just what Kristoff needed at this time. He walked around the building, still trying to come up with a way to help Anna with her Hans issue. 

He was in the back of the building when he heard a door slam. He stopped in his tracks and hid in the shadows. 

“Thanks for the ride, Jerry,” he heard a voice say. It was faint, and a bit slurred, so he couldn’t identify the voice. But he could identify the source: it was coming from the front side of Anna’s house. He walked slowly to the side of the house to see if he could hear anything else or get a better view. 

“Any time for you, Mr. Westergaard,” said the man. Oh, so Hans was finally returning home for the evening. “Same time tomorrow?” 

“Sounds lovely,” Hans replied. “My wife isn’t even fighting about it anymore. I think she’s finally accepting this part of me. Besides, it gives me a chance to get away from that miserable son of mine. He’s been with me for the last five days, and all he’s talked about is music. He’s starting to sound a lot like his mother in all the wrong ways.” 

_He’s not your son, he’s mine. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the way he thinks or acts. He’s an absolute Angel,_ Kristoff thought angrily to himself. He had to clench his fists to stop himself from running towards that man and punching him until he regretted ever saying any of those words. 

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as you’re making it sound,” Jerry spoke. “But I will leave that for another time. I’m going to head back home. Let me know if you need anything before tomorrow night.” 

“Thank you, Jerry. See you tomorrow,” Hans dismissed. 

“Have a good night, Mr. Westergaard,” Jerry concluded. Kristoff heard the car door shut, heard the car start, and then drive off down the otherwise quiet street. 

He was never able to get a good look at Hans, but he could hear his fumbling feet crunching through the grass and up the stone steps. He was startled by how loud the house door closed, jumping in his spot on the side of the house. He realized he wasn’t the only one startled by it when a light from one of the upstairs windows illuminated outside. Kristoff became angry again. That jerk most likely woke Anna up because he doesn’t know how to keep quiet. 

He had to move, though. The light was now shining over him, and if anyone looked out a window, they would be able to see him, and he didn’t want to be spotted here. He quietly walked back over to the theater. 

Despite how much anger he felt from that whole exchange, he also had received some information: Hans would be back at the bar tomorrow. If he planned this just right, he could really use that to his advantage. 

He walked back into the theater and into his bedroom. He pulled out the notebook that was sitting in his nightstand. He hadn’t touched it since Anna arrived into America, and this time it wasn’t going to be used to write pathetic letters to her (even though the first few pages did have some of those). 

He turned to a blank page and began formulating a plan. If it went exactly right, it would get Hans out of America, while leaving Anna and Ronen here to stay with Kristoff. 

He realized as he worked through this plan that he would need an extra person there to help get Hans a little ruffled before Kristoff confronted him. He knew just the person to help him with that, though. Someone who wanted Anna to stay here as much as he wanted her to. 

He wrote down the main parts of his plan. When he was settled with what he had planned, he set the notebook down on the nightstand, turned off his bedroom light, and laid down in his bed, his mind filled with thoughts about hopefully soon having Anna and Ronen with him fully - completely out of Hans’ control. 

He made a silent vow just before going to sleep. A vow to do all he could to give his son the best life - the life he should have been having the last nine years. He would give everything he had to that child, no matter what. Ronen deserved all of that, and more. And Kristoff vowed to give him exactly that.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna reflects on the night’s events.

Anna practically ran back home. She didn’t know when Hans was going to be back, and she didn’t want him seeing her walking around outside. He would start getting ideas if he saw that.

She slowed down as she reached the steps to the door, making sure to be as quiet as possible so she wouldn’t accidentally wake Ronen up. 

She let out a sigh of relief as she walked in and didn’t see Hans standing there waiting for her. He wasn’t back home yet. She got away with her little excursion. 

As she walked to her bedroom, she peeked into Ronen’s bedroom to make sure he was asleep. What she saw made her heart clench. 

He was asleep in the bed almost exactly as she had left him, but at some point after she had left, he had crawled out of bed to grab his teddy bear. He was now snuggling with it, arm wrapped tightly around it as he slept soundly, a little smile on his face. 

A part of her wished Kristoff could see this - to see that Ronen had no negative feelings towards him. 

She continued her trek to her bedroom. She wished she could get changed by herself, but her injured shoulder made that super difficult. She decided to just go to sleep in what she was currently wearing. She would clean up tomorrow morning.

She laid down in her bed, resting on her left side, but she struggled to go to sleep. She had been having troubles getting into a comfortable position ever since she injured her right shoulder and could no longer rest on that side. That wasn’t the only issue tonight, though. Her mind was racing with everything that had just transpired between her and Kristoff. 

She had revealed her biggest secret to him. She had spent the last ten years keeping it silent, not telling anyone the truth. It felt so good to finally say it, and especially for Kristoff to finally know. 

Kristoff.... He was just trying to be kind. So kind and thoughtful. The kind of man she always knew he was, and that she fell in love with. He wanted to do something special to mark what would have been the start of their new relationship. That’s why she couldn’t find him that morning. That morning that had started this path with Hans. The reason why she was now married to Hans and couldn’t just run away with Kristoff and Ronen, no matter how much she wanted to do just that. 

She knew she was still deep in the woods. Hans still didn’t know the truth, and she needed to keep it that way. If he ever found out... She couldn’t imagine what he would do. 

_Can I help at all?_

Anna rolled over onto her back and ran her left hand through her hair. She loved that he was so willing to help her, but he couldn’t get involved. This was something she had to take care of herself. She got herself in this mess, and she had to get herself out of it. Oh, but how was she expected to get out of this without Hans overreacting? 

She pushed that thought out of her mind for now. She was too tired to come up with any plans. She just closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind so she could sleep. 

Anna was almost asleep when she heard a door slam shut. She jolted upright and turned on the lamp. She was almost certain it was just her husband returning home, but she couldn’t be too careful. 

She grabbed her robe off the chair and wrapped it around her shoulders, holding it closed with her left hand. 

Sure enough, Hans was the one walking around downstairs, grumbling as always. She walked to the other side of the walkway and halfway down the stairs. Hans must have heard her footsteps, as he looked up in her direction. 

“Hey, babe,” she greeted. 

“Hi,” he replied. 

“Are you coming up to bed tonight?” she asked out of curiosity. 

“Maybe. Why?” 

“I was just curious. And It’s a little chilly up here. If you won’t be joining, I may grab another blanket from one of the spare bedrooms.” 

“Take care of yourself. I don’t know when I’ll be going to sleep, or if I’ll even make it up there,” Hans replied, turning on the lamp in the living room and sitting on the couch. 

“Okay.” She waited for a few seconds to see if Hans would say anything else. Instead, he just grabbed the newspaper. She began to walk back upstairs, but then she remembered her promise to Ronen. “Oh, by the way, Ronen will be coming with me tomorrow. So you don’t have to watch him.” 

“About time,” Hans grumbled. Anna spun around sharply to face him again. 

“What did you say?” she asked. Despite the distance, she could see Hans roll his eyes. 

“Nothing. I’m just relieved that he’s going back with you, since I’ve been watching him by myself for the last five days,” Hans explained. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Have you been wanting to do something more important?” Anna retorted, walking down the stairs to confront him. 

“Anna, do not push it with me,” Hans warned. “I wasn’t trying to start an argument. I don’t know why you’re always so defensive.” 

“I’m defensive because it almost seems like you don’t want to spend time with your own son,” Anna replied. “I’m looking out for him, trying to protect him from any kind of heartbreak, especially from his own father.” 

Hans stood up and glared at Anna. “Are you really accusing me of not spending any time with Ronen once again, even after this last week? I’ve spent almost an entire week with him! How about you try doing that?” 

“I have! Many times! I’ve spent almost every day of the last 9 years with him!” Anna shouted back. “While you were out gambling and drinking and hanging out with your brothers back in the Southern Isles, I was raising our child practically by myself.” Anna sighed, and walked back to the stairs. “But don’t worry about it. It’s fine. I’ll take him tomorrow like I originally planned anyway. You can spend the day doing whatever you want. We won’t bother you.” She trotted back up the stairs. Hans didn’t say another word as she left his presence. 

“Mama?” she heard a voice whisper as she reached the upper floor. She bit her bottom lip. She had been so angry with Hans, she forgot to be quiet for Ronen. She quietly slipped into his room. 

“Sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to wake you. You can go back to sleep,” she whispered. 

“Why were you and Papa yelling?” Ronen asked. “Was it because of me? Did I do something wrong?” 

“No!” Anna quickly replied. “No! You didn’t do anything wrong. Your father and I just... don’t always see the same way. And I sometimes forget about that, and I get kind of carried away. I’m sorry. That’s not right of me to do.” 

“I heard my name in the conversation,” Ronen commented. 

“I was just telling your father I was taking you to the theater with me tomorrow. That was all.” She ran her good hand through his hair. “There’s nothing to worry about. Go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“Okay. Good night,” Ronen said as Anna walked out of the room. 

“Good night,” Anna replied before she closed the door completely. On her way back to her room, she slipped into one of the spare rooms and grabbed an extra blanket from there. It was definitely getting colder as the night went on. 

Anna laid back down in her bed, taking off the extra robe, wrapping the extra blanket tight around herself, and turning off the light. She thought about how different hers and Ronen’s lives could have been if they had stayed with Kristoff instead of leaving with Hans, and she ended up crying herself to sleep as she did. How she wished they could have had that life.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristoff starts putting action to his plan, while also taking care of Ronen.

~~ Kristoff’s POV ~~ 

Kristoff opened his eyes to see a bright blue, sunny sky. It was a very familiar scene for him. One that he only really experienced in dreams. 

Without warning, someone jumped on his back, wrapping their arms tightly around him. Kristoff didn’t have to turn around to see who it was. There was only one person who ever did that with him. 

“I see the last ten years hasn’t dampened your feistiness at all,” he joked. Anna’s beautiful laugh echoed in his ears as she slid off his back to stand next to him. 

“I didn’t know giving you a hug from the back was considered being feisty,” she teased. 

“A hug is one thing. Jumping on me without any prior warning is a completely different thing,” Kristoff replied. Anna lightly smacked his arm, which made Kristoff smile. It had been a long time since they had this playful teasing. Anna walked around to face him from the front, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging slightly. Kristoff got the hint and leaned down to kiss her, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

“Do you have to do that in front of me?” a voice said behind them. Kristoff jumped from the kiss a little and turned to see Ronen standing behind them, a disgusted look on his face. Kristoff chuckled and walked over to him. 

“Sorry, kiddo. I didn’t realize you were standing right there,” he said. He ruffled his son’s hair, which made Ronen laugh. 

“Can we go now?” Ronen asked. 

“Go where?” Kristoff asked. 

“To Mama’s favorite restaurant. The one with the milkshakes that she says are to die for!” Ronen replied. Kristoff ached at the mention of that restaurant. It had been so long since he visited that place, or even had a milkshake. 

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Anna taking his hand in hers. He turned to look at her, and was surprised to see how brightly she was smiling. She looked like she was glowing. Her thumb rubbed against something on his left hand, and he looked down to see it was a wedding ring. Which meant there was no Hans to worry about. That explained why Anna was so happy and wasn’t afraid to be touching him like this. 

“Yeah,” he finally said, turning back to Ronen. “Yeah. Let’s go to the restaurant.” Ronen grinned and ran ahead of them. “Wait! Ronen, slow down!” Kristoff let go of Anna’s hand to catch up with their son. 

The dreamland slowly faded away after he left Anna’s side, though. A forest of trees surrounded him until his vision was completely black in all directions. 

He rubbed his eyes to try and see if that would help. When he opened his eyes again, however, he realized that he was awake in his own bedroom back in America. He sighed. He didn’t know why he was so disappointed when he knew from the start it was all a dream. Maybe it was because he wanted it to be real. For the three of them to be happy, back in Arendelle, as one family. 

As he slowly came to, he remembered about his plans last night, and he sat up. The sun was just starting to come up. He still had some time before Anna arrived for practice. 

He stumbled out of bed and got ready for the day. It was going to be a long one. 

He put on his mask and walked down to the auditorium. He knew none of the regular cast members would be here yet. But usually some of the directors came in early to prepare things. He was hoping today was one of those days. 

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the person he was looking for pacing around on the stage. 

“Need help figuring out something?” he asked. Elsa jumped, not expecting to see him here. 

“Oh! Um, good morning, Mister E,” she stammered. “No, I don’t need help. Just making sure I haven’t forgotten anything.” 

“Okay. Mind if I stop you for just a couple of minutes?” he asked, walking onto the stage. Her head tilted to the side in confusion. “I have a favor to ask you.” 

“Oh. Um, okay. What is it?” Elsa asked. 

“I need you to come to a bar with me tonight,” Kristoff replied. 

“A bar? I didn’t peg you as the drinking type, Mister E,” Elsa commented. 

“I’m not. But Hans is,” Kristoff remarked. 

“Oh,” Elsa said, slowly understanding where this was going. “Why are we following Anna’s husband?” 

“I want to talk to him. Figure out a way to basically tell him to get far away from here, while also leaving Anna and Ronen here,” Kristoff explained. “But I don’t think him seeing me first would be the best way to start it. I need someone who knows both Hans and Anna. Someone who is especially close to Anna. I need your help, Elsa.” 

“How do you expect me to help?” Elsa asked. “I don’t really know Hans. I don’t think anyone does outside of Anna.” 

“That might be true. But I think you and I can both see that Anna’s not happy with Hans. And I know how much you missed her when she left Arendelle,” Kristoff replied. Elsa’s eyes lowered to the ground at the memory. “I want to rectify that and make sure she stays here and is truly happy. But I need your help to do it. Please, Elsa.” 

“Okay,” Elsa conceded. “I’ll do what I can.” Kristoff gave her a small smile. 

“Thank you.” Elsa simply nodded before turning back to her paper. Kristoff walked off the stage, thankful that Elsa agreed to tag along. He decided to go eat breakfast and push aside tonight’s plan for now. After all, Anna would be here soon, and he didn’t want anything to slip about his plan. He wanted it to be a surprise. 

*** 

It was about 9 am when Anna finally showed up, with Ronen trailing behind her. Kristoff had forgotten she mentioned he would be coming back with her today. His heart warmed at seeing the little boy again, especially now that he knew Ronen was his son. 

When Kristoff got a good look at Anna, he froze a little. She was wearing a black dress, but something about it seemed familiar. It wasn’t until she was just a few feet from him that he saw the brown lacing on it, and he realized why it seemed familiar. 

It was one of the dresses he had bought for her when they were shopping for the masquerade ball. 

“Good morning, Mister E,” Ronen said, pulling him out of his thoughts. Kristoff turned to the boy and smiled

“Good morning, Ronen. How are you doing today?” Kristoff asked. 

“I’m fine,” Ronen replied with a shrug. Kristoff smiled and turned to Anna. She looked upset about something, but when they made eye contact, she gave him a small smile. 

“How are you feeling today?” Kristoff asked her, taking a few steps closer. He meant it in a few different ways. Not just asking it in general, but also to see how she was doing after everything went down last night. 

“I’m okay,” Anna replied. Kristoff opened his mouth to ask something else, but was interrupted by someone else. 

“How’s your shoulder doing, Mrs. Westergaard?” Yelana asked. 

“I can move it a little more than before,” Anna answered, moving her arm to show the mobility. 

“Do you think you can do some choreography with it?” Yelana asked. “I don’t mean to rush, but we have less than a week before it’s showtime, and we need to make sure you know the moves.” 

“I can try,” Anna replied. She turned to look at Ronen, and then back to Kristoff. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on sitter duty, but would you mind watching Ronen?” 

“I don’t mind at all,” Kristoff replied with a smile. Anna let out a sigh of relief and smiled back at him. 

“Okay. Let’s get moving,” Yelana said, clapping her hands together. Anna gave Ronen a quick kiss on the cheek before running onto the stage. Kristoff watched Anna for a few moments as she got into position on the stage. 

He turned back around to talk to Ronen, only to find he had disappeared. He looked around and saw the boy’s feet disappearing through the doorway. He looked back at Anna briefly - for reasons he wasn’t sure - and then went to follow Ronen. 

Maybe Anna was wrong. Maybe Ronen didn’t want to spend any time with him, like he had suspected after revealing his secret. 

Still, Anna had put him in charge of the boy. He had to make sure Ronen was safe, wherever he was going. 

“Ronen?” Kristoff called as he exited the auditorium. He was nowhere to be found in the immediate area. Kristoff walked over to the entrance. Maybe he was trying to run back home. 

“Ronen?” he called again as he entered the main lobby. He looked to the side and saw Ronen sitting on the stairs. Kristoff let out a sigh and walked over to him. Ronen was resting his head between his hands like he was upset about something. “Ronen? Is everything okay?” 

Ronen looked up at Kristoff for a few moments, and then looked back down at the floor, not saying a word. 

“Ronen, I know you and I don’t know each other very well, but I feel like we know each other well enough to not hold anything back. Right?” Kristoff asked, getting down to his level. 

“I guess so,” Ronen replied. 

“Good. So what’s wrong? Why did you run out of the auditorium?” Kristoff asked. Ronen bit his bottom lip, took in a deep breath, and then let it all out. 

“Mama and Papa were fighting last night,” he explained. “And... I think they were fighting about me. Mama said I didn’t have anything to worry about, but I heard my name said while they were yelling at each other. I think I upset them somehow.” His breathing became shaky as he continued, tears streaming down his face. “The worst part is I have no clue what I did wrong.” 

Kristoff’s heart ached at seeing Ronen like this. He had never seen the boy cry before, except that first night when he woke from a nightmare... But this was completely different. Kristoff knew this feeling. He had experienced this feeling many times with his birth parents before he was taken to the orphanage. This wasn’t like that, though. His birth father and Hans might be alike, he considered. But Anna was nothing like his birth mother. 

“Hey.” He grabbed Ronen’s shoulders tenderly, and the boy looked up at him. He recognized the look in Ronen’s eyes. It was the same look he had seen when looking in the mirror all those years ago. The fact that they shared the same eye color made for almost a perfect reflection. “I don’t know your father. I only saw him once when he was on the tour of this place, and I never spoke to him. But I have spent a lot of time with your mother the last few weeks, and I can assure you that if something was wrong with you, she would tell you directly. I don’t think it’s ever possible for you to upset your mother.” _Other than the fact that you look a lot like me, but that isn’t your fault either,_ he added silently. He walked up to the side of Ronen and sat next to him on the stairs, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Sometimes our parents get into fights. It happens. We’re all human. But 99% of the time, it’s never your fault. Even if you hear your name in their argument, that doesn’t mean it’s about you.” 

“Do you mean it?” Ronen asked, looking up at Kristoff with watery eyes. 

“Yes, I do. Believe me; I thought the same thing. My parents fought a lot before they got divorced, and I used to think I caused their fights. I didn’t realize until I was much older that you are almost never the reason for the fights.” 

“Are my parents going to get a divorce because they’re fighting as well?” Ronen asked. Kristoff bit his tongue. He couldn’t say his deepest wants around this boy. He had to keep that a secret. He couldn’t know. 

“I’m not sure. If last night was their only fight, then I doubt it. Couples who really love each other are usually able to get through an argument or a fight without permanently splitting. But if there’s been something deeper going on, they might,” Kristoff replied. Ronen frowned, and his eyes drifted back to the floor. “But don’t ever think that you caused any of that, okay? If you need someone to talk to about it, I’m always here. You can come talk to me at any time. And when your mom is on her lunch break, I’ll show you that whatever they were fighting about was not directly caused by something you did wrong. Okay?” 

“Okay,” Ronen agreed. 

“Okay,” Kristoff echoed. “Now, how about you and I go play some piano to get our mind focused on other things?” 

Ronen smiled at the idea and nodded. Kristoff stood up and extended his hand out to his son, who happily took it, and they walked up to his room together.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna finds out about Ronen’s concerns, and does her best to console him.

Anna was grateful for the vocal rest that this day was giving her. Elsa was always being flexible with their routines, to ensure that Anna could actually do it without hurting herself too much. 

Still, by the time they were released for lunch, Anna’s shoulder was feeing sore from moving it so much. 

She was surprised to look out at the seats and see them completely empty. Where did Kristoff and Ronen go? 

“Hey Elsa,” Anna called for her friend, who was packing up for lunch herself. 

“Yeah?” Elsa called back, standing and turning towards her. 

“Did you see where Mister E took Ronen?” Anna asked. Elsa frowned, scanning the room herself. 

“No, I didn’t. Sorry,” she replied. 

“It’s fine,” Anna assured her. “I’ll go see if I can’t find them. See you after lunch.” 

“See ya!” Elsa said as Anna ran off the stage. 

Anna had a feeling she knew where they were: the only other place where she had found them the last couple of times when they weren’t just waiting for her. 

Sure enough, as she walked up the stairs, she could hear the piano music coming from Kristoff’s room. She walked to the room, trying not to think about her trip here last night. 

Unlike every other trip up here, the door was wide open, so she could hear everything Kristoff and Ronen were saying. 

“That was really good,” she could hear Kristoff saying. “But try to add a little more power to those final notes.” 

“Like this?” Ronen asked. He played a few chords with more force, and even though Anna couldn’t see the bottom half of Kristoff’s face, she thought she saw the slightest hint of a smile from the way his eyes creased. 

“Yeah. Just like that,” he replied. Anna took a couple of steps into the room, and although the floor didn’t creak at all, Kristoff still sensed her presence and looked in her direction. She gave a small smile and half of a wave. “Look who’s here to pick you up for lunch,” he said to Ronen. Ronen turned to face Anna and smiled. 

“Hi, Mama,” he greeted. 

“Hi, darling,” Anna replied. “Are you hungry?” 

“A little,” Ronen admitted. “But do we have to leave so soon? I feel like we just got here.” 

“We won’t be leaving for good,” Anna said, confused on why Ronen would say something like that. “I have to be back for practice in an hour. We’re just going to grab a bite to eat, and then we’ll be back here.” 

“Okay,” Ronen said. He looked over at Kristoff, who just nodded, and he got up off the bench and walked over to her. Ana extended her hand for him to grab just like always, but he walked right by it like he didn’t see it. Anna turned back to Kristoff, confused. Kristoff just shrugged. Anna turned back around and followed Ronen out of the room. 

“Ronen!” she called as her son was walking downstairs. “Ronen, wait.” Ronen stopped and turned to face her. Anna ran to his side and knelt beside him. “Hey. Is everything okay?” 

“No,” Ronen admitted. “I’m scared.” 

“Scared? What are you scared about?” Anna asked, brushing his hair out of his face. 

“Are you and Papa going to break up?” Ronen asked. 

“What?” The question startled Anna. Really, everything about this situation was surprising her. Ronen had never acted like this before. “What would make you think that?” 

“Mister E said that his parents fought a lot before they got divorced. And you and Papa seemed to have a really big fight last night,” Ronen replied. 

“Oh, darling,” Anna began, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. “It’s okay. Your father and I just had a little fight, but it’s nothing to worry about. Every couple fights every now and then, but we make up the next day, and everything goes back to normal. There’s nothing to worry about, okay?” Ronen nodded, and Anna smiled. “That’s my boy. Come on. Let’s go get some food. I’m starving!” 

Anna stood back up, and Ronen locked his hand with hers. Anna gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as they walked out of the theater. 

***

Anna worked hard on getting Ronen’s mind to think on happier things. She didn’t want to go back to work unless she knew he was happy. 

After they had finished eating, they decided to go for a walk in the nearest park. 

“Hey Mama?” Ronen began. 

“Yes, darling?” Anna replied. 

“Race you to that tree!” he exclaimed, pointing at the tree at the center of the park. Before Anna could fully process it, Ronen was already running towards the object. 

“Hey! I didn’t say I was ready!” Anna shouted back, but she began running anyways, a small laugh escaping her lips. 

Ronen beat her by a long shot, marking him as the winner even with the early start. 

“I haven’t ran that fast in so long!” she said, bracing against the tree as she caught her breath. “That was fun, though.” 

“And I’m officially the fastest runner in the Westergaard family!” Ronen announced. 

“Oh! I’m not sure about that one. Your Uncle Fredrik might be able to beat you there,” Anna remarked. “But you’re definitely the fastest one out of the ones here in America.” Ronen grinned, and Anna ruffled his hair. 

“Hey!” Ronen exclaimed, immediately unruffling his hair to try to make it straight. Anna chuckled. She looked up at the sunny sky for a second, and then turned back to Ronen. 

“Are you ready to head back?” she asked. 

“Sure,” Ronen replied. “Race ya?” 

“No. No more racing for now. I need my energy to dance,” Anna replied. 

“Okay,” Ronen said, and fell in stride with Anna. Anna wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head. 

“I love you,” she whispered. 

“I love you, too,” Ronen replied, returning the side hug. 

When they made it back to the theater, Ronen suddenly stopped. Anna turned around to try and see if she could find out why he stopped. There was no obvious sign. 

“Is everything okay?” she inquired. 

“Yeah,” Ronen replied. “Um, is it okay if I run back to the house? I want to grab something from there.” 

“Oh. Yeah, that’s fine. Just don’t take too long, okay?” 

“I won’t,” Ronen promised, a grin on his face. “Be right back!” Before Anna could say anything else, he was running around the building and long gone. Anna wondered for a moment what he was going to grab, but she pushed the thought away as she walked inside. 

When she saw the grand staircase, she remembered her conversation with Ronen before they left for lunch. Why would Kristoff bring up divorces and his birth parents? She needed to find out. 

He was sitting at the piano, but he wasn’t playing anything when she walked into his room. 

“I know the door’s open, but you could also use some manners and at least say something to announce your presence,” Kristoff teased, not turning to face her at all. 

“Well, it appears that’s unnecessary, considering you already know I’m here,” Anna remarked. 

“Always so stubborn,” Kristoff remarked, shaking his head. Turning to face her, he added, “What can I do for you?” 

“I actually came to talk to you about Ronen,” Anna answered. “He seemed really off when I came to get him for lunch, and when I asked him if he was okay, he said you brought up Hans and I might be getting a divorce.” Kristoff’s eyes widened, but Anna didn’t give him a chance to say anything as she continued. “Why would you give my son that kind of an idea? I thought we agreed nothing would change despite what we talked about last night? Why-?” 

“Anna! Slow down a minute,” Kristoff interrupted. Anna stopped. “I didn’t say you and Hans were getting divorced. That was far from what I told him.” 

“Then what did you tell him?” Anna asked, arms crossing. 

“He seemed off to me this morning as well, so I asked him what was wrong. He said you and Hans were fighting, and he thought the fight was caused by you two being upset with him because he heard his name being brought up,” Kristoff explained. “I was trying to help show him that was far from the truth, and I told him I thought the same thing when my birth parents fought before they got divorced. He took that last part and turned it into meaning you and Hans were getting divorced. I didn’t directly tell him that. I would never do something like that.” 

“Oh,” Anna said. She immediately felt guilty for even accusing Kristoff of that. “I’m sorry. He just made it sound like you brought it up with no context... I should have known better than that. You never talk about your birth parents unless there is a real reason behind it.” 

“Why were you two fighting last night anyways?” Kristoff asked. “Did he... did he find out?” 

“No,” Anna answered. “No. If he found out, Ronen and I probably wouldn’t be here today.” She ran her fingers through her hair as she recalled the argument. “No. I told Hans in passing that I was bringing Ronen here with me today. Hans made some comment about being glad he no longer had to spend time with Ronen during the day, and I went off on him for that. And then!” She scoffed and shook her head at the memory of his defense. “And then he had the audacity to say _I_ don’t spend any time with Ronen! When all I’ve done for the last nine years is take care of him and make sure he has the best life possible, despite his father drinking and gambling every night. I just-.” She tangled her fingers in her hair and took a deep breath to calm herself. “I’m just tired of Hans making up every excuse in the book to not spend time with Ronen. I would be okay if it was only a night or two, but every day? It just seems like he doesn’t care at all.” 

Kristoff stayed silent for a few moments, just observing her. For what, Anna didn’t know. 

“I would never bring it up to Ronen directly - and especially not after how he reacted today - but I still think the divorce would be the best option for you and Ronen in the long run,” he said, placing a hand on her good shoulder. Anna bit her bottom lip. “I know it’s scary. I understand why Ronen’s scared. But you both deserve a better life. I’m not saying that just for me, either. Maybe we find out the better life for you is with both Hans and I out of the picture. A fresh start with no heartache and no reminders. But keeping Hans in the picture when he’s just going to neglect our son is just going to make things worse for Ronen as time goes on. I know you can see that as much as I can.” 

“I’m just looking out for Ronen. I don’t want to see him get hurt,” Anna said. 

“Neither do I. That boy’s too pure and innocent to be ruined by anything. That’s why I think Hans should be put out of the picture sooner rather than later. Ronen’s going to catch on soon enough, and when he truly sees how much Hans neglects him, there will be a hole in his heart that may never be repaired,” Kristoff said. Anna looked up to meet his eyes, and her heart ached at the empathetic look he had. 

“Mama?!” Ronen called from downstairs, pulling them out of their moment. Anna glanced over at Kristoff again, and then walked out of the room.

“I’m up here, darling,” she called. When she heard the footsteps coming up the stairs, she walked back into the room. 

“Just think about it,” Kristoff requested. Anna simply nodded as Ronen walked into the room, carrying a folder. 

“What did you bring?” Anna asked her son. She didn’t recognize the folder. 

“Some music sheets of songs I’ve been wanting to learn. I was hoping Mister E could show me how to play some of them while you were still practicing downstairs,” Ronen answered. 

“Oh!” Anna exclaimed, turning back to look at Kristoff. 

“Sure. I could teach you a few things,” Kristoff replied with a shrug. “As long as that’s okay with your mother, of course.” 

“I don’t mind,” Anna replied. “I should probably get downstairs though, before Yelana reprimands me for being late again.” She kneeled down to give Ronen a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you in a couple hours. Be good for Mister E.” 

“Yes, Mama,” Ronen replied, returning the hug. Anna kissed his forehead as she stood up, and then left the two alone again. 

***

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. Elsa showed Anna how to do all the dance moves that didn’t require her to move her right arm much, which Anna was thankful for. She knew it bothered Yelana though, and she wished she could do something to help her shoulder heal faster. 

Hans was already gone by the time they arrived back home. Where he went, Anna didn’t know, and she was beginning not to care either. 

Ronen never brought up the events of last night again while they were eating dinner and spending time together before bed. Anna began to think that he completely forgot about it.

She was proven wrong as she worked on tucking him in for the night. 

“Mama? Are you sure everything between you and Papa is going to be okay?” Ronen asked. The question took Anna by surprise, and she froze for a moment. She really didn’t know how to answer that question. Things were clearly becoming less than okay, but she couldn’t scare Ronen with that idea. She had to stay strong for him, but she also couldn’t lie to him. 

“I’m sure everything will be just fine,” Anna said. “It was just one little argument. It wasn’t anything major.” 

“But what if it becomes more than that?” Ronen asked. “What will we do then?” 

“We’ll make it work,” Anna promised, cupping the side of his face with her hand so they could maintain eye contact. “We’ll still have each other, and that’s what matters most at the end of the day. Honestly, that’s still more than what most people have.” 

“Some people have it worse?” Ronen asked. 

“Sometimes. The orphans, for example. For one reason or another, they no longer have a mom or a dad. They are then put into a building full of kids, and stay there until they are adopted by a new family or until they’re old enough to get their own job and support themselves,” Anna answered. 

“Oh yeah. You were an orphan, right?” Ronen asked. 

“Yes, I was,” Anna confirmed. “I never went to an orphanage; I was able to find a job at a theater and made my life there.” 

_You should tell him._ Kristoff’s voice echoed in her ears. It was too soon to tell him the true story, but maybe if she made it like a bedtime story and changed some names... 

“I had a friend that was in a similar situation as me, though, and she knew someone who went to an orphanage and turned out okay,” she continued. 

“Ooh. Bedtime story?” Ronen said excitedly. Anna chuckled. 

“Sure,” Anna said. Ronen smiled and got comfy in his spot for this story. “My friend’s name was Christine. Kristoff was the name of the guy she knew. Kristoff became an orphan when he was only seven years old. He was at the orphanage for about three years, and according to Christine, his time there was less than pleasant, as he was bullied constantly. When he was ten, a caring couple adopted him and took him in as their own. Christine says that was the happiest time of his life, until she arrived. But that time didn’t last long, either. Kristoff’s adopted parents died in a car accident three years later, when he was only thirteen. He was left as an orphan again.” 

“He was an orphan twice?” Ronen asked, completely shocked. 

“Yeah, he was,” Anna confirmed. “He didn’t go back to the orphanage, though. He made it work for him, and stayed in his adopted parents’ house. But he was alone for awhile. That is, until he and Christine met five years later. Christine had just become an orphan, and she had been trying to find shelter. She ended up in an alley right by his house. Kristoff found her and took her inside. Despite the horrible past he had, he took good care of her, and provided her food and shelter. And they eventually did become really good friends. Christine said he was never too harsh with her or anything like that. They had the occasional argument, but that was it. He did his absolute best to make sure she was happy and taken care of. The last time I talked to Christine, she said it still hurt that she lost her parents, but she wouldn’t change a thing if it meant ending up with Kristoff.” 

“Did she and Kristoff get married?” Ronen asked. Anna was thankful it was mostly dark in his room other than the light behind her, so her son couldn’t see her tense up at the question, or the nervous way she bit her bottom lip. 

“I’m not sure,” she answered. “I haven’t talked to Christine in awhile, but I hope they did. He seemed like a great guy for her.” 

“Yeah, he does,” Ronen replied. He yawned, and slid further into his blanket. “Thank you for the story, Mama.” 

“You’re welcome, darling,” Anna replied. She stood up and walked over to kneel beside him. Running her fingers through his hair, she added, “I promise everything will be okay, though. You have nothing to worry about. No matter what happens between your dad and I, we will always have each other. I will never leave you; I promise.” She kissed his forehead. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too, Mama,” Ronen replied. Another yawn escaped him as he spoke, and he closed his eyes. Anna ran another soothing hand through his hair before standing up and turning off his lamp. 

“Sleep well, little one. I’ll see you in the morning.” She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. 

She felt a little relieved at telling Ronen at least the main parts of the story. But it also brought sad memories to the front of her mind. Memories of all their time spent in Arendelle. All the good moments that were now just part of their history and nothing else. Things that could never become more because of her relationship with Hans. 

As Anna walked back to her bedroom, she remembered what Kristoff said after lunch. His strong recommendation for her and Hans to get a divorce, for Ronen’s well-being. But was it really that different if Hans neglected him versus if they got a divorce to save Ronen from that pain? Either way, it seemed like Ronen was going to get hurt, possibly beyond repair. She couldn’t do that to her only son. The precious child needed to be protected at all costs. 

She changed out of her dress, into one of her silk nightgowns, and crawled under the bed covers. No. She couldn’t think about splitting up from Hans. Not right now. It just seemed like too long of a process, and she didn’t want to put Ronen through any of that. Things were okay as they were. She would let it stay that way for now. What could be the worst that could happen in this position?


End file.
